Bowel Cancer New Zealand chief executive says comedy legend Dai Henwood "absolutely saved lives" through his advocacy, humour and warmth during his six-year battle with the "taboo" cancer.
Henwood died yesterday aged 48, surrounded by family following his long battle with bowel cancer after being diagnosed in 2020.
Tributes have been flowing for the Billy T award winner, Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and "national treasure" who used his platform to raise awareness about the form of cancer that is among the most deadly in our country.
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Kiwi comedian Chris Parker said "so many of us in the industry looked up to him".
"And then we got to work with him, and it was like this is the guy, you know, our hero. Then when you meet your hero, and he's nice, and fun, and wants you to be good. It's just such a great reminder of how we should be with one another," he said.
He went on to say: "I was just looking back at our messages, and out of the blue, he would have messaged me just to to gas me up and make me feel good about myself.
"[He was] just the best, the very best, and a fixture of our industry. So, I think for many of us, it doesn't necessarily feel kind of real in a way because his presence will forever be permeated throughout the industry," Parker added.
Earlier, Bowel Cancer NZ chief executive Peter Huskinson praised Henwood's warmth, humour, and openness which helped make a taboo subject easier to discuss.
"He was so beloved in the community of people who are living with bowel cancer. You know, we've got some great videos with tips of going through chemotherapy, and yeah, I think he did like 35 rounds. So used all of that to kind of share with other people and help people."
Henwood talked in April of how he had gone through 51 rounds of the treatment and the latest had been the hardest.
He said Henwood's approach also reached people who might otherwise overlook bowel cancer.
"He's one of so many people actually in his age group who are dealing with this. To have someone visible, you know, people used to think, 'oh, this is an older person's thing', but you know, he's an example that this is a disease that can strike anyone at any age, and therefore we all need to understand what to do, and we all need to take those opportunities if we can, if we're eligible to get screened."
Huskinson added that bowel cancer was often less openly discussed than some other cancers, despite its serious impact.
"Kiwis generally know less about bowel cancer than some other cancers such as breast cancer and other things, and often it can be a bit taboo," he said.
"But someone with that kind of warmth and humour to be able to puncture through the taboo and sort of say, 'hey, look, this is what you need to do. This is what you look for'.
"Most of us, we've got busy lives we're getting on. We don't want to be weighed down. He brought a lightness, and just that lightness and humour that just kind of helps to find a way in for people - for something that really could be really life and death."
Huskinson said Henwood's ability to speak up and connect with people about the topic "100% would have saved lives, without doubt".
Richard Carrington, who has been Henwood's manager through Notorious Management since 2007 said it was "a difficult time".
"There are a lot of well-established comedians now, from Guy Williams to Rose Matafeo, they will all talk about how kind Guy was to them when they started out, and I think that's a really crucial thing that he gave to the industry as well."
"I think it will be a big loss, and at the same time, people will fill in that space. You know, the comedy community kind of wraps around when it can. So I don't think that role will disappear. I think it'll be filled by many people," he said.
Carrington said Henwood "worked really hard".
"I think that that is something that's easy to miss with comedy because you see the results, you don't see the hard work that goes into it.
"But right from the beginning of his career, he understood that he needed to treat it as a business and that he needed to work on the craft and spend time honing his material."
He said "Dai had a thing where he would say, 'Look on the shiny side', and it was to do with looking on the shiny side of sand when he's on the beach, but he was always looking for the positive, the new things to happen.
"It was yeah, just a really positive outlook. And he did have really difficult, difficult, dark moments. You know, really dark stuff. But he accepted that was just part of the journey."
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