FATHER TED creator Graham Linehan has been diagnosed with testicular cancer.
The 50-year-old writer and comedian shared the sad news on Twitter today.
The Irishman further revealed that he was having one of his testicles removed after receiving the diagnosis.
"I got a bit of bad news recently. A little touch of the old cancer," he wrote.
"Luckily, ball cancer is one of the best ones to have (sorry, ladies!) and they got rid of it all pretty quickly, along with a ball. Bye, ball! I’ll never forget the good times!"
I got a bit of bad news recently. A little touch of the old cancer. Luckily, ball cancer is one of the best ones to have (sorry, ladies!) and they got rid of it all pretty quickly, along with a ball. Bye, ball! I'll never forget the good times!
— Graham “I didnt say that, though” Linehan (@Glinner) June 27, 2018
Next up is a course of chemo to make sure it doesn't come back. Not looking forward to that, obviously, but it's better than dying.
— Graham “I didnt say that, though” Linehan (@Glinner) June 27, 2018
The writer and comic added that he was going for a course of chemotherapy to treat the disease: "Next up is a course of chemo to make sure it doesn’t come back.
"Not looking forward to that, obviously, but it’s better than dying."
Linehan also gave an update on the upcoming Father Ted musical which is to chronicle the journey of "the least qualified man in the world becoming Pope".
He said: "‘Pope Ted’ is coming along nicely. It’s really making us laugh.
‘Pope Ted’ is coming along nicely. It’s really making us laugh. I’m not sure whether I’ll have to stop working on it or what, but the script (sorry, ‘book’) is so close to being done that I can walk away from it for a while and we’re still in good shape.
— Graham “I didnt say that, though” Linehan (@Glinner) June 27, 2018
"I’m not sure whether I’ll have to stop working on it or what, but the script (sorry, ‘book’) is so close to being done that I can walk away from it for a while and we’re still in good shape."
Linehan previously said that he and those involved in the upcoming musical hoped the project would be ready for the stage by next year, and that the venue of the show's eventual debut wasn't confirmed.
Of the reunion with writing partner Mathews, he added: "You can pull the most ridiculous stunts to get around a plot problem... and it's lovely to be working with Arthur again."
