Chesney Hawkes to perform Dorset brewery gig to help school friend

Vic Irvine (left) and Chesney Hawkes (right) have been friends since they were at school

Pop star Chesney Hawkes is headlining a gig to support a school friend who has been diagnosed with lung cancer.

The singer, famous for the 90s hit The One and Only, will take to the stage at Cerne Abbas Brewery in Dorset on Friday for a crowd of about 500 people.

The gig is part of wider fundraising for head brewer Vic Irvine, who was diagnosed with lung cancer last year.

The two have been friends since they met at school in Berkshire.

In June 2021 Mr Irvine was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and the family's life was "turned upside down".

A year later, his wife Maddy's crowdfunding page has raised £17,000 of a £30,000 target, to secure a hyperbaric-oxygen chamber and to fund specialist gene profiling with Dorset Cancer Care.

"Guy with the biggest heart in the room"

When Mr Irvine told Mr Hawkes his friend was eager to help and "badgered" him until they set up a gig to support the family's fundraising efforts.

Mr Hawkes said the gig is "incredibly close to my heart" and Mr Irvine is one of his best friends.

"We have known each other forever and he's the guy with the biggest heart in the room, always was," he added.

The singer described his friend as “the guy with the biggest heart in the room”.

"Friend with a funny job"

Mr Irvine described how he thinks of Mr Hawkes as his "friend with a funny job", adding "he went from playing the piano in pubs to stardom, but we've always been friends".

Mr Irvine's 13-year-old daughter, Mabelle will be opening for the family friend with a DJ set and has done a "housed up" remix of the singer's 1991 hit.

There will also be a DJ set from Thomas Jules and performance from That Brit Pop Band.