"Literally saved lives": Friend and Manager pays tribute to Dai Henwood

Dai Henwood’s long-time friend and manager says the beloved comedian and advocate “saved lives” by sharing his bowel cancer journey with the world.

Notorious Comedy’s Richard Carrington, who had managed Henwood since 2007, told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking he had received multiple emails from the public thanking the 7 Days and Taskmaster mainstay, who died yesterday aged 48, for encouraging them to get a bowel screening.

“I have emails from people and from people who went and got a bowel screening and caught things early. He literally saved lives. There’s no question,” Carrington said.

Henwood was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2020 and went public with the news in 2023.

Carrington said only a close circle of friends and family were aware of his diagnosis before Henwood shared his story.

“And then when it became a bigger thing, then I think his contributions to helping raise awareness of things were just a natural progression for him to use his platform.”

The comedian chose to see himself as living with cancer rather than fighting it, Carrington said.

He, alongside fellow comedian Justine Smith and Mikee Carpinter, often took Henwood to his chemotherapy treatments, where the “heavier” conversations often happened in the car.

They were generally about not wanting to feel like Henwood had already done his last gig, and planning for the future.

“Because I didn’t want to be sitting there beside him going, ‘oh well, that was your last gig two months ago’. I wanted to be able to say, ‘okay we’ve got plans, we might do something in Christchurch later in the year’.”

Carrington said nothing would make Henwood’s death feel easier or better.

“You have six years to prepare, and then you kind of get two months, and you kind of get two weeks, and then it’s, you know, shorter timeframes.”

Carrington said he was meeting with friends and family later today to discuss tributes.

“We’re meeting .... to find out what they want and how things can move forward. But I imagine there will be a public event,” he said.

Notorious Comedy announced “with a deep sadness” on Tuesday that Henwood had died in Auckland City Hospital while holding the hands of his family.

The son of late actor Ray Henwood, ONZM, is survived by wife Jo, children Charlie and Lucy, and mother Dame Carolyn Henwood.

LISTEN ABOVE