Alan Carr interview

Alan Carr talks about co-hosting Channel 4's charity fundraising night Stand Up To Cancer and why the charity drive is important to him.

Hi Alan. You are back hosting Stand Up To Cancer. Are you excited?

I was so overwhelmed with it two years ago. Obviously there are a lot of charities out there but with cancer you have to be lucky to have not been affected by it or not know anybody who has had it. We were overwhelmed with the public support last time around. So many people got involved like Bradley Cooper, who I have a personal crush on (!), and Gwyneth Paltrow. It felt like a big event. I love working with Davina. She is one of the nicest people ever.

Your Chatty Man will be on during the evening won't it?

Yes we have got Chatty Man, and I also did a special Deal or No Deal [which was shown on Sunday and is repeated on Tuesday]. All the money goes to Stand Up To Cancer.

My God, it's an emotional rollercoaster. I found it so stressful. If it were my money for a holiday or a car, I would have gambled. I don't want to spoil it but we got to a point where there was a lot of money at stake. With Stand Up To Cancer, every penny goes to Cancer Research UK. You are playing with people's lives. I knew I needed to get as much money as possible. I was shaking, my heart was in my mouth and I was petrified. You know every penny counts. OMG it was emotional torture!

Who are you going to have on Chatty Man?

They are keeping that under wraps but a little bit of Hollywood stardust wouldn't go a miss! People are interested in Hollywood stars and we want as many people as possible to watch the show. There is an excitement and buzz around the studio. Gwyneth is very hands on with it and hopefully she will put some of her friends on speed dial and they will come down!

Adam Hills has revealed he is prepared to go naked! Are you?

I think the money would go down if I got my knob out! He is braver than I am! I will think of something else! I will just be outrageous!

Your close friend, Sam, had throat cancer. Was that a traumatic time for you?

Yes she had throat cancer. She had her voice box removed. She can't speak now and she has a little valve, which she presses to talk. After she had it done, there were dark days. It was very sad to see her so ill. The first thing that goes through your mind is 'will she make it?' Then you have got that fear of it coming back.

In her case, it was all down to identity and not having a voice. She is an attractive lady. Not being able to talk or communicate was one of the hardest things. People forget about that. You survive cancer but you have still got the emotional baggage. But we went on holiday together and she is back to her bubbly self. It's all down to the support.

I went to the UCL recently where Cancer Research UK does a lot of their research. Those people are geniuses. You come out feeling so humble. People are working all the time trying to make us better. It was so inspiring.

Does it make you fear cancer?

Speaking to the people at UCL, smoking is the big one. I have never smoked and so that's good. Maybe I do need to cut down on my drinking. I went to UCL on a Friday. Normally I would say 'let's crack open the wine' in the evening but I came away thinking 'maybe I should just have a soft drink'. A lot of them were saying it can also be down to genetics. Sometimes people are given a really crap hand.

Do you look after yourself?

Yes, but I need to lose weight. I just have to look at a Gregg's steak and I put it on. You do think 'come on Alan!' I am no spring chicken. But I do run around the park and I do look after myself.

What is it about Stand Up To Cancer that you love so much?

I do like doing live. I love the buzz of doing live. I am a stand-up comedian and so I am not scared of live. The personal stories are going to be tough though.

Will you well up?

Last time I did. It was just too much. When there are kids involved, it is so unfair. What is so great about the Great British public is they do put their hands in their pockets when there are people in need. But poor old Davina, she lost her sister to cancer. I have always got that in the back of my mind. It must be so traumatic and so poignant for her.

But what is good is, after my visit to UCL, they told me how the death rates have reduced. Your life expectancy now is much better. It is going up all the time and you think 'come on we can do this!'

Do you think it is important there is lots of comedy when we talk about cancer?

Definitely. You can't have a whole night of misery. For those people who have come out the other end of it, there should be a celebration. You have beat cancer. Let's be upbeat.

And finally, why should people donate?

You can donate with confidence. Myself, Davina and Dr Christian are not going to spend it on a trip to Alton Towers! Every penny goes to research.

Stand Up to Cancer is live on Channel 4 on Friday 17th October.

To find out more about Stand Up To Cancer and how to donate visit www.standup2cancer.org