Davina McCall to lead Stand Up to Cancer broadcast as Channel 4 announces "pioneering" Cancer Clinic: Live

Stand Up to Cancer is returning next month, with Davina McCall and Adam Hills at the helm of a special night of programming.

Airing on Friday 12th December on Channel 4, the live broadcast will feature dedicated editions of some much-loved shows, including Celebrity Gogglebox and The Last Leg, alongside moving performances and stories as the public and celebrities unite to raise money for life-saving cancer research.

Channel 4 has also announced a new campaign led by the broadcaster and Cancer Research UK to drive awareness of NHS cancer screening programmes.

At the heart of the evening is Cancer Clinic: Live, a "pioneering" new campaign presented by McCall. It will feature a live broadcast direct from inside a special one-off cancer clinic at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Audiences will meet patients and their families whose cancer journeys have been followed for several weeks from diagnosis to results, as they continue through treatment.

This marks the first time in UK television where audiences will see clinical consultations with cancer specialists from Addenbrooke’s and Royal Papworth Hospitals unfold in real time.

The aim is to "demystify what happens inside a cancer clinic, tackle the fear that prevents many from seeking help and show the life-saving impact of early diagnosis".

The week-long campaign launches on Friday 5th December, leading up the live event the following week.

Dermot Murnaghan, who revealed his own cancer diagnosis earlier this year, will be supporting the campaign, delivering some of the nightly campaign bulletins airing on Channel 4 during the week.

As per Cancer Research UK, nine million people in the UK are not up to date with their cancer screening. A screening is a way to detect cancer early when treatment is more likely to be successful, and in some cases can prevent the disease developing in the first place.

To combat people not taking up their NHS invitations, the campaign is launching a simple online screening checker, designed to help people quickly work out if screening is for them.

McCall, who recently shared her breast cancer diagnosis, said: "I want to take the fear out of cancer screening and show everyone that they are not on their own in this. I've been part of Stand Up to Cancer UK since it started in 2012 and I knew for this year's campaign I wanted to step out of the TV studio and speak to real people facing a cancer diagnosis.

"On the night of Stand Up to Cancer I will be with incredible teams of medical professionals to demystify what happens inside a cancer clinic. Cancer Clinic: Live is about showing the reality of the incredible care, science and humanity of a cancer diagnosis, and reminding people that early diagnosis gives you options and hope."

Hills added: "All week we will be asking famous faces to do some incredible and silly things all in the name of entertainment – to raise money for cancer research and to help remind everyone to use our online screening checker to bust myths around cancer screening.

"Join us on Channel 4 to pay tribute to those we have lost and hear about all the good news and incredible breakthroughs in cancer research that are changing the face of cancer treatment."

To find out more about Stand Up to Cancer and how you can get involved or make a donation, visit its official website.

Stand Up to Cancer's special night of programming airs on Friday 12th December on Channel 4.

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