Awareness
Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, and the Colonoscopies That Started With a Bet
The Wrexham co-owners filmed their colonoscopies for the Lead From Behind campaign — and both had polyps removed. Here is why that punchline is actually the point of screening.
Please note: this page is educational only — it is not medical advice, and it does not speculate about anyone’s health beyond reliable public reporting. For questions about your own health, talk with your healthcare team.
On screen
It started as a bet between friends. In 2022, Ryan Reynolds told his Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob McElhenney that if McElhenney learned to speak Welsh, Reynolds would get a colonoscopy on camera. McElhenney learned Welsh. So both men — who turned 45 that year, the age when colorectal cancer screening is recommended to begin — filmed their procedures and released the videos with the Colorectal Cancer Alliance's "Lead From Behind" campaign.
Then the joke turned serious in the best possible way. Doctors found and removed a small polyp during Reynolds' colonoscopy — his doctor called it "extremely subtle" and potentially life-saving to have caught — and three small polyps during McElhenney's. Two famous, healthy-feeling 45-year-olds walked in for a comedy bit and walked out as textbook examples of why screening works.
The reality
According to the National Cancer Institute, colorectal cancer forms in the tissues of the colon or rectum and is the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States when men and women are combined. Here is the fact that makes the Reynolds-McElhenney story more than a stunt: NCI explains that colorectal cancer often begins as a growth called a polyp, and that finding and removing polyps can prevent colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy can do both at once — spot a polyp and remove it in the same procedure, before it ever has the chance to become cancer.
What the story gets right — and what to remember
The campaign got the essentials right. Both men were screened at the recommended age, both felt completely fine going in, and both had polyps found anyway — a perfect illustration that screening is for people without symptoms. One gentle caveat: finding a polyp is common and does not mean cancer was found; most are removed precisely so they never become a problem. And a video of two celebrities is encouragement, not a care plan — what is right for any individual is a conversation with their own healthcare team, not medical advice from a promotional film.
Awareness, screening & prevention
NCI describes several tests used to screen for colorectal cancer — stool-based tests, sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy, virtual colonoscopy, and DNA stool tests — and notes that studies show some screening tests help find cancer at an early stage and may decrease deaths from the disease. There is more than one good option, which means the best test is often the one you will actually do. Our plain-language guide to colorectal cancer screening compares the choices, and if you are wondering whether it is time for you or someone you love, our free screening check-up tool can tell you in a couple of minutes.
Turning a story into something useful
The genius of Lead From Behind was making a screening test feel like something you would text a friend about. You can do the smaller version: if you are 45 or older and have not been screened, book the conversation with your doctor — and maybe make your own bet with a friend who is due too. Sharing accurate, low-drama information about screening, and supporting free cancer education, keeps the punchline doing its lifesaving work.
Questions to ask a healthcare team
- I am turning 45 — how do I get started with colorectal cancer screening?
- Which screening test makes the most sense for me, and how often is it repeated?
- Does my family history mean I should start earlier than 45?
- What happens if a polyp is found during my colonoscopy?