Stand-ups design T-shirts for skin cancer campaign

Comedians including Ashley Storrie, Larry Dean and Ray Bradshaw have designed T-shirts to spread a skin cancer message.

They are taking part in a campaign that challenges the ‘taps off’ culture of showing some flesh as soon as there’s a glimpse of sun in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Instead, the message is to keep your shirts on to combat melanoma, the fifth  most common cancer in the UK with around 17,500 new cases every year.

Bradshaw’s T-shirt bears the slogan ‘Think Like a Ginger’, abouve, while Dean’s says ‘We’ve Got Your Back,’ showing a seagull swooping in to leave a deposit on a sunseeker’s back…a big dollop of suncream. 

Still Game’s  Sanjeev Kohli has the slogan Melter, demonstrating the challenge of trying to finish an ice lolly before it’s melted.

He  said: ‘We’re all guilty of getting a bit overexcited the minute the sun shows up - I’ve seen folk sunbathing on traffic islands. 

‘When it appears, we fight that urge to race to the nearest patch of sand to feel the sweet warmth on our bare skin. But while we’re busy basking in  its glow, we often forget that it’s still pelting us with UV rays. 

‘I wanted my T-shirt design to be a cheeky nod to those fleeting moments of sunshine as we race to make the most of it and a reminder that if the sun is melting your ice-cream… think what it can do to your skin!'

The ‘Taps On’ campaign comes from Melanoma UK and Tennent’s Lager.  

Joanne Motion, senior brand manager for Tennent’s said: ‘Braving a Scottish summer is practically a national sport, and no one does it better than us. But while we’re all for making the most of every rare bit of sunshine, we’re also keen to make sure folk are doing it safely. 

‘That’s what Taps On is all about - having a laugh, raising some money for a brilliant cause, and keeping your burn-prone bits covered while you’re at it.’

Colin Glover from Melanoma UK added: "Skin cancer doesn’t care if it’s 15 degrees or 25 degrees, UV rays can still do a lot of damage. We know how much people love the sunshine, but we want to encourage people to enjoy it safely by avoiding sunburn, keep a "tap on" to help protect backs and shoulders from sun damage and ensuring you’re wearing SPF."

The Taps On t-shirts are on sale here..

Published: 3 May 2025