James Van Der Beek strips off for The Real Full Monty to raise awareness for colorectal cancer
James Van Der Beek is stripping off for new TV show The Real Full Monty to raise awareness for colorectal cancer.
The actor, 47, recently revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer, later clarifying to People that it was colorectal.
James will join a group of male celebs on Fox's two-hour special where the stars will shed their clothing to spread awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.
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Celeb disrobed: James Van Der Beek is joining The Real Full Monty, a TV special where stars strip to raise money for cancer charities
The show will air in the U.S. on December 9 with a teaser clip showing James alongside fellow celebrities Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson, Chris Jones, Bruno Tonioli and Tyler Posey.
The show is based on the UK show of the same name and will follow the six men as 'they train and rehearse for the most revealing performance of their careers - a striptease in front of a live audience.'
The description for the show reads: 'Leading up to the final disrobing, the men will push their limits of comfortability, modesty and brotherhood with a series of rehearsals and experiences, designed to build confidence and remove them far from their comfort zone and strengthen their bond as a group.'
Big tease: James, along with five other stars, will strip to spread awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research
The celebs will each reveal how cancer has impacted them during the show, with an insider telling MailOnline that James 'was very open and talked about his diagnosis with the other contestants' during filming, which took place earlier this year.
The insider added: 'He really wants to help others by doing this show. He's always thinking of other people and wants to make a difference.'
It's unclear what stage of colorectal cancer James has, but it reportedly starts in the colon or the rectum for one in 23 men on average with 65 per cent surviving past five years.
Risque journey: The show follows the six men as 'they rehearse for the most revealing performance of their careers'
Daring to bare: 'Leading up to the final disrobing, the men will push their limits of comfortability, modesty and brotherhood'
In James's statement last week, he said he was sharing the news 'on his own terms' and apologized to the 'people in his life he had not had chance to tell personally first'.
He wrote: 'It is cancer…' Each year, approximately 2 billion people around the world receive this diagnosis. And I'm one of them.
'There's no playbook for how to announce these things, but I'd planned on talking about it at length with People magazine at some point soon… to raise awareness and tell my story on my own terms.
'But that plan had to be altered early this morning when I was informed that a tabloid was going to run with the news.'
All-star lineup: The six contestants include actors Taye Diggs (left) and Anthony Anderson (right)
Stripping celebs: Dancing With the Stars judge Bruno Tonioli and actor and musician Tyler Posey are also taking part
James continued: 'I've been dealing with this privately until now, getting treatment and dialing in my overall health with greater focus than ever before.
'I'm in a good place and feeling strong. It's been quite the initiation, and I'll tell you more when I'm ready.
'Apologies to all the people in my life who I'd planned on telling myself. Nothing about this process has occurred on my preferred timeline.'
Candid update: James recently told fans he had been diagnosed with colorectal cancer
While it's unclear when James was first diagnosed, it certainly hasn't slowed him down on the work front.
He recently appeared in an episode of Walker and he'll next be seen in the movie Sidelined The QB And Me.
Those projects were his first since 2021, when he provided the voice for Boris in the Disney animated series Vampirina.
Following his announcement, the star was praised by fans on social media, as they voiced their shock and sadness and sent him well-wishes, while many said they hoped his candidness would raise awareness for the disease.
Family photo: James shares six children with his wife Kimberly - Olivia, 14; Joshua, 12; Annabel, 10; Emilia, eight; Gwendolyn, six; and Jeremiah, three
