Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has revealed he was recently diagnosed with testicular cancer.

"I got a bit of bad news recently," the TV writer told his Twitter followers. "A little touch of the old cancer.

"Luckily, ball cancer is one of the best ones to have (sorry, ladies!) and they got rid of it all pretty quickly, along with a ball," he continued.

The 50-year-old Irishman said he would soon undergo a course of chemotherapy to stop the cancer from returning.

"Not looking forward to that, obviously, but it's better than dying," he wrote on social media, adding that he was "dealing" with the situation.

Linehan went on to thank his fans for their messages of support. "People are so nice," he wrote. "You forget sometimes."

The writer apologised to Australian fans who had bought tickets to an event he was due to host later this year.

"I'm hoping to make it back next year," he said, telling his fans not to worry if there were "moments of quiet" from him in the months ahead.

Linehan, who created Father Ted with Arthur Mathews, confirmed earlier this month that they were writing a musical version of the show with The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon.

Writing on Wednesday, Linehan said the show was "coming along nicely" and was at a point where he could "walk away from it for a while".

Irish comedian Dara O Briain was among those to offer support, joking that Linehan would be "sleeker through water" as a result of his surgery.

"You seem to be taking this all in your stride, which is all the more impressive, given how tricky striding must be," joked the actor Rufus Hound.

According to the NHS, around 2,200 men are diagnosed with testicular cancer each year in the UK.