Taking to the stage to laugh in the face of tragedy – Catherine’s stand-up defiance
A widow whose husband died of cancer just 89 days after they tied the knot has fought back against the heartbreak – by performing stand-up comedy.
After losing her beloved husband Fred McCormack to lung cancer in 2022, Catherine Dixon was determined to channel her grief into something positive that will help others.
The 62-year-old from Shepherd’s Bush decided she wanted to make other people laugh – even turning some of her darkest moments from her husband’s illness into humour to bring light to a dark time of her life as well as foster connection and understanding with her audience – leading her to win a national award.
Catherine signed up to take part in Ultra Comedy, wanting to harness her love of comedy while at the same time raising money for Cancer Research UK (CRUK), in memory of Fred.
Ultra Comedy gives participants eight weeks’ free training, guided by a professional comic, culminating in a glamorous event where each person performs a five-minute set on stage before a packed audience. In return, individuals must raise a minimum of £50 for a charity of their choice.
Now Catherine’s efforts have won her a national award after she was crowned Ultra Comedy Top Fundraiser, having raised £3,161 for CRUK.

Catherine, a mum-of-two and soon to be grandmother, said: “I’ve always enjoyed watching comedy but until this, my only experience of standing in a room before other people was giving a presentation at work and there’s a huge leap between that and being able to make people laugh.
“I wanted to find a way to keep Fred’s memory alive while raising awareness of the disease and also find a way to bring humour into it.
“Some of our darkest moments became part of my routine – this was important to me, not to make a joke or undermine the seriousness of cancer, but to bring light and humour into something so desperately awful.”
Fred, a psychotherapist from Westminster, was 56 when he died. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer after being referred for tests after being ill with Covid.
Catherine, who works part time in financial services, said: “The doctors and consultants tried everything but it was too late. Fred had about a year of treatment, including chemotherapy through the NHS, but he died after contracting pneumonia in December 2022.
“He was an amazing person who would do anything to help other people facing their own battles, both in his profession but also as a kind human being. He never lost his sense of humour throughout, and he is so fondly remembered and badly missed. When he passed away, I wanted to do something positive to honour him and help others, as Fred would have wanted me to.”
Catherine loved her comedy experience so much, she’s carried on performing every week, along with some of her fellow contestants she met at Ultra Comedy.
She said: “It was really fun. The training was excellent – we learned a lot about how to construct a joke – timing, reading your audience and being authentic. I was a good student and really tried to put everything I learned into practice. I was also the oldest in our group – proof that age really doesn’t matter.
“It was a real honour to win the Ultra Comedy Top Fundraiser award.”
Jon Leonard, who runs Ultra Events, said: “Catherine is a truly inspirational character. She has experienced such heartbreak but used her tragic experience to hep her raise an incredible amount of money for a charity, that will no doubt help countless people in the future.”
The next Ultra Comedy event in London will take place on June 22 at Backyard Comedy. Training starts at East Dulwich Tavern, on April 28.
Pictured top: Catherine with late husband Fred (Picture: Catherine Dixon)