Jason Manford has shared a health update after being rushed into surgery with appendicitis, forcing the cancellation of four shows on his current UK tour.
The comedian, 44, was due to perform in Hertfordshire last Thursday as part of his A Manford All Seasons tour, but was forced to cancel at the last minute due to illness.
It was later confirmed he had developed appendicitis - a painful condition requiring emergency surgery to remove the appendix.
Despite the setback, the TV star appeared in good spirits over the weekend, posting several updates from his hospital bed and later revealing he was already en route to a family holiday - albeit with a slight change of plans.
“I will not be defeated!” Manford wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself reclining in a ferry cabin. “Might not be able to fly to Portugal but what about this ferry! On it ⛴️ it’s only 33 hours.”
The update came just hours after the Salford-born star shared a cheerful post-op photo enjoying a midnight snack of pepperoni and pineapple pizza, joking about the ordeal and praising hospital staff and his mother.
“Appendix surgery all went well,” he wrote. “Bit of a scary & extremely painful 24 hours but thankful to our NHS & my incredible nurse mum who’s a godsend in a health crisis! My advice would be to not get appendicitis whilst driving at 70mph on the motorway!”
Manford - who has four children with his first wife, Catherine, and two children with his second wife, TV producer Lucy Dyke - also posted a heart-warming snap of his parents, Sharon and Ian, sitting by his bedside. “Mum & Dad come to look after me for the night! Always their baby no matter how old ya get!” he captioned the photo.
Celebrity friends were quick to send their well-wishes. Emmerdale actor Adam Thomas commented: “This is cute - get better soon sir x,” while Coronation Street’s Catherine Tyldesley added: “Love that. God bless them x.”
With Manford recovering, fellow comedian John Bishop stepped in to cover his slot at Kendal Calling festival on Sunday. In a video posted to Manford’s page, Bishop said: “He’s asked me if I’m free and I am, so I’m going to step up and fill Jason’s boots.”
Manford has since expressed regret over missing shows in St Albans, Oxford, Lincoln and Skegness - all of which have now been rescheduled - and thanked fans for their support and understanding.
“I thought I could get by on antibiotics and surgery at a later date so I could still do the shows,” he explained. “But was advised not to. Also means I can’t fly out to Portugal on Monday to join my family on holiday! Ah well, such is life.”
The rescheduled Hertfordshire performance will now take place on 20 October 2025. Other postponed dates have also been moved to later this year and early 2026.
