When doc said I had cancer I was like ... no I haven't

TV comic Milton Jones on shock diagnosis... and bouncing back

- BY GEORGE SIMPSON

MILTON Jones, the one-liner comedian and Mock the Week panellist, found out in April he had prostate cancer just as he was embarking on his latest tour.

He had to postpone for surgery but in August he announced he was cancer-free and resuming shows in the autumn. Here the 61-year-old talks about his career and how his faith and sense of humour helped him through cancer’s darkest days and a dangerous second iliness.

When did you realise you were funny? I bumped into someone in the street recently from primary school who said, “You didn't say much, but when you did it was quite funny". I wasn't aware of that at the time. I was aware of being quite timid and not saying much.

I wanted to be an actor because comedians when I was growing up were more like big guys with bow ties who told mother-in-law jokes. I turned to stand up because I reckoned I could get producers and directors to see me perform.

I literally didn't have anything else I could do. It wasn’t until I sort of stuck my hair up and wore a silly jumper that it began to work. That was 30-35 years ago and I'm still trying to become an actor.

How did one-liners become you? I was so terrified I needed to get to the joke as quickly as possible so people would laugh. I found myself crossing one or two words out of jokes to make them even smaller.