Stand Up To Cancer Channel 4 programming revealed

As reported last month Channel 4 and Cancer Research UK are joining forces to launch Stand Up To Cancer in the UK, after a successful American version launched in 2008. The event will see stars from television, music and film will come together this autumn as part of this unique new fundraising campaign.

The campaign will air across a week of programming, and will climax on Friday 19^th October in a fundraising extravaganza hosted by Davina McCall, Alan Carr and Dr Christian.

Stand Up To Cancer Live 19^th October

Bringing together a unique mix of entertainment, science and fundraising, a super-sized group of celebrities will come together over the week to show their support for SU2C UK, including: The Simpsons, Tom Daley, Kylie Minogue, Leona Lewis, Jonnie Peacock, Emeli Sande, Jenson Button, JLS, Jimmy Carr, Jack Whitehall, Anna Friel, The Cast of 8 out of 10 Cats, The English National Ballet, Martin Freeman, Miranda Hart, Simon Bird, and David Hasslehoff.

Alan Carr (pictured, left) will front a super-sized chat show with the best green room ever, packed with A-list stars both from the UK and the US. Building on the success of Carr’s recent “Spectacular”, audiences will also be treated to special sketches, VTs and high octane star-studded stunts.

Davina will host a high stakes version of Million Pound Drop, aiming to raise big money for Stand Up To Cancer – building on the show’s successful history of charity editions, which recently saw the recent Celebrity Games specials raise a spectacular £700,000 for 14 different Paralympic and disability charities.

And throughout the night, our doctor in residence Dr Christian Jessen will be on hand to explain some of the science behind the incredible new cancer trials we hope to fund, and to introduce stories of those who have been affected by cancer and whose lives depend on new breakthroughs in cancer research.

Throughout the week and night, there will be a plenty of other surprises and a huge range of opportunities for audiences to get involved and donate to the cause, to show their support and raise millions for the fight against cancer. For inspiration viewers can log on to www.standuptocancer.org.uk/getinvolved

In the run up to the 19 October, Cancer Research UK will be urging the public to get involved by donating money, fundraising, showing support through social networks or snapping up some Stand Up To Cancer merchandise.

80% of the money raised will be administered by Cancer Research UK with the funds going towards leading UK clinical cancer research projects, in the form of grants to hospitals, institutes, charities and universities. The awards will be subject to an independent selection process and researchers from universities, institutes, charities and hospitals across the UK are invited to submit funding proposals for clinical research. Any proposals will be independently peer-reviewed and considered by world-leading experts. Grants will be awarded on the basis of these reviews. The remaining 20% of the money raised will fund UK-US collaborative research

Whizz Kid Entertainment will produce the main hub for Channel 4. A large range of other companies are also involved in producing content on the night and during the week, and details will be released shortly.

Tesco are proud to be the lead broadcast sponsor across Channel 4’s Stand Up To Cancer programme schedule.

Stand Up To Cancer Shorts

Channel 4 has commissioned Maverick Television to make a series of five personal and moving short films to run during the week commencing Monday 15^th October.

The films will feature five very different cancer stories, self-narrated by those affected and cutting to the heart of the impact cancer has on them. From parents grieving for their 10 year old daughter, recently taken by a brain tumour, to a family currently battling with the bombshell of their 14 year olds diagnosis, to a young woman faced with a shocking dilemma – should she be tested for the gene that’s killing her mother?

Emotive and powerful, the films will be instrumental in raising awareness and re-enforcing the fact cancer is universal and indiscriminate; it can and does strike anyone, regardless of age, sex, race, status, wealth or a person’s state of health. Its impact is as varied, both physically and emotionally, on not just the patient but those closest to them.

Each short film will transmit daily before featuring across the during the live fundraiser “Stand Up To Cancer” on Friday October the 19^th.

Tescos are proud sponsors of the Stand Up To Cancer Shorts

Sing For Your Life

The Big C Choir is quite simply, unique. It isn’t that they’ve been together barely three months or that, prior to joining, many of them had never sung before in public. What makes this choir so extraordinary is that all thirty five members have been on the same incredible, sometimes terrifying, journey – each and every one them is, or has been, in treatment for cancer.

The choir has been created for this programme, and is run and supported by Tenovus, Wales’ leading cancer charity. The charity carried out pioneering research about the positive effects of singing in a group – and now runs choirs across Wales for people touched by cancer in some way.

The Big C Choir is different. Its singers are all ages, ranging from 10 to 80 years old and they come from all walks of life -from pensioners to professional footballers. They’ve been recruited from Wales and beyond and every member – some terminal, some just diagnosed, some in remission – have all had, or have, cancer.

From the very first week, The Big C Choir’s shared experience of this devastating disease has bound them together. Rehearsals have become joyous occasions – part choir, part support group, part exclusive club. Despite the illness or the debilitating effects of chemotherapy, The Big C Choir singers have been reluctant to miss out on their weekly fix of choir practice. And while their health has fluctuated, what has never wavered is their newfound love of singing.

Led by choir mistress Cat Southall, every member has been on an incredible journey in and out of the rehearsal room.

They’ve been taught by opera star and brain cancer survivor Russell Watson, met singers as diverse as Emeli Sande and Shaun Ryder and performed at life-affirming moments like a surprise wedding proposal.

Along the way, they also had a big surprise sprung on them – the climax of their story is a performance at a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall… if they’re ready, willing and able to sing.

Plus watch out for the performance on the live show on October 19^th….

Sing for Your Life is produced by Exclusive TV for Channel 4

ScottishPower are proud sponsors of Sing For Your Life.

Embarrassing Bodies Special

The Embarrassing Bodies doctors are Standing up to Cancer and taking the emotional medical journey with patients fighting the big C. Dr Dawn meets 49 year old Julie who overcame breast cancer eight years ago. After a double mastectomy Dr Dawn is helping her to get back her breasts and be the woman she once was using radical surgery with a pioneering technique.

Dr Christian meets designer Josh, who tragically lost half his face following the diagnosis of a rare cancer, orbital melanoma. We join Josh on his amazing surgery to rebuild his face with the UK’s leading team of facial and dental surgeons. Natalie was diagnosed with cervical cancer at just 22 making her one of the UK’s youngest cases. Having undergone a radical hysterectomy we see her journey unfold as she attempts an egg retrieval procedure to provide her with the only chance to become a mum one day. Dr Dawn visits her in hospital during her radio therapy treatment and talks about dealing with the disease so young.

Dad of two young boys, Danny, was diagnosed with bladder cancer at just 39. Having met Dr Christian in the clinic we follow his course of treatment using the tuberculosis virus to fight the cancer and we discover if his bladder can be saved.

John went to his GP for a check-up after his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer only to discover he also had prostate cancer too. Following a trip to the clinic to see Dr Christian we follow John’s brave decision to have his prostate removed using a state for the art robotic technique, the di vinic robot, a machine so advanced, the surgeon’s hands control a computer consol rather than the knife.

We follow the NHS Breast Screening Cancer Bus in Coventry inviting women over 50 for their routine mammograms and Dr Christian is out and about wearing prosthetic breasts encouraging the ladies to have a feel of his lumps and bumps to get to know what’s normal for them. Pixie whips up a crowd as she inflates her large bowel and guides the public through the pitfalls of bowel cancer and what symptoms to watch out for. She also tests out the very latest scanning techniques to spot the signs early.

And along the way celebrities share their personal story of how cancer has affected them.

Embarrassing Bodies is made by Maverick TV for Channel 4.

Both More4 and E4 are joining the week with themed nights and special guests asking viewers to dig deep and give to fight cancer.