Keith Lemon records special message for Joshua McCormack

Keith Lemon sends a personal message for Joshua McCormack

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Keith Lemon has recorded a personal message for Joshua McCormack, who is suffering from a terminal brain tumour.

Keith Lemon, portrayed by Leigh Francis, began the message with a typical Keith Lemon joke about ‘not being able to find the hole’ before saying: “Hello Joshua, it’s Keith Lemon here. This is what I look like with no make-up on, I look like Fearne Cotton.

“I’ve heard you’re not feeling too good, so I want to wish you well. I hope you had a nice day today, or this evening, whenever you get this message.

“Someone got in touch with me, so what I’m going to do is get your address and send you a calendar which you can colour in when you’re sat at home and you’re bored. So you can have a bit of fun with that.”

Recognising that his humour may not be appropriate for most children of Josh’s age, he went on: “I’m not sure how you know who I am, ‘cos a five-year shouldn’t be up ‘til ten-o’clock watching me. If you do, I’m glad you enjoy it, and I’ll try to get you a message tomorrow from the rest of the gang on Celebrity Juice.

He closed the message saying: “Have a lovely day, all t’best.”

Leigh recorded the message after many people contacted following a post from Joshua’s dad Kevin on Tuesday (8 November) Joshua’s dad, who wrote online that Keith was ‘Josh’s favourite’ and ‘how meeting him would bring a smile to his face’.

Kevin said: “It was very nice of Leigh to take the time to do this. All the town made this possible.

“We had a smile from Josh; I just wish he could really enjoy it.”

Joshua fell in love with Keith Lemon (and his moustache, which became the #TeamJosh logo) after he had brain surgery last year.

His mum, Nicola, had been watching Celebrity Juice next to Josh when he was in hospital when she heard him laugh ‘for the first time in weeks’.

She wrote about how Josh came to adore Keith: “Joshua was so poorly following brain surgery; he was half asleep and feeling so sorry for himself in a hospital bed.

“I was watching Celebrity Juice in bed next him and Josh began to laugh for the first time in weeks. I would have never have let him watch Keith Lemon pre-diagnosis, but watching him laugh and lift his spirits, I allowed him to watch it as his tonic. It helped at every stage of his dreadful treatment.

“Joshua was so ill during his high dose chemo - he sat on the hospital floor completely lethargic. All of a sudden, he let out a huge Joshua laugh whilst saying 'potato’. This was a reoccurring event throughout treatment and illness.

“We took him to wax works during our summer of fun when he was feeling so well and he was really disappointed when Keith Lemon was not real, even then he said ‘I want to meet him and say ‘potato’’. Keith Lemon’s humour kept my boy going.

“The message from Keith was nothing short of amazing, but a visit would be Joshua's ultimate dying wish.”