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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Comedian Janey Godley feared she would die after choking on stage amid cancer battle

Janey Godley has said she thought she was “going to die” after she began choking during her comedy show at Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo on Sunday.

The comedian, who announced that she has terminal ovarian cancer in December, said the incident was so bad her daughter Ashley Storrie, 36, was forced to run onstage to help her.

The 62-year-old explained she was taking a sip of water during her Not Dead Yet tour date in the city when she began to choke.

Taking to Twitter, the comedian said of the frightening incident: “Just when I was choking and thought I was dying onstage my daughter ran on.

“Banged my back, checked I was alive and improvised in front of 3000 people until I got my breath back and we carried on with the show. Honey made her stage debut tonight as well – what a night!”

Meanwhile, her daughter also took to social media to share a tearful snap following the terrifying moment.

She penned: “Mum nearly choked to death on a sip of water, on stage, in front of thousands of people, I had to pat her back, ascertain if she was dying and also take the mic and do funny bits while she learned to breathe again.

“I’m a f***ing wreck.”

The award-winning funnywoman confirmed in December that she has stage three ovarian cancer and said in an interview with Lorraine Kelly in January that she will “have to keep fighting it” for the rest of her life.

Godley had initially been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in November 2021 and went on to have a full hysterectomy, after which she was given the all-clear two months later.

She also revealed that the ovarian cancer this time had appeared on her peritoneum, which she explained was “the organ that holds all your bits in round your tummy”.

Despite her gruelling cancer treatment, she vowed to continue her current tour, which ends next week in London’s Leicester Square Theatre.

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