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Jake Quickenden has candidly opened up about his health anxiety and fear of being diagnosed with cancer after losing his father and brother to the disease within just a few years of each other.
In an interview with MailOnline, the singer, 34, admitted that every ‘lump and bump’ he finds on his body makes him feel like the disease has ‘got him’.
Jake’s father Paul, who separated from Jake’s mother Lisa before his diagnosis, passed away 13 years ago from bone cancer.
Two years later, his youngest brother Oliver then injured his knee playing football and tests revealed he had a different type of bone cancer, an osteosarcoma.
EXCLUSIVE: Jake Quickenden has candidly opened up about his health anxiety and fear of being diagnosed with cancer after losing his father and brother to the disease
Oliver then sadly passed away when he was just 19 years old, just years after his father Paul’s tragic death.
In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Jake detailed his ongoing struggle with anxiety and grief.
He said: ‘I’ve always suffered with anxiety but never truly knew what it was. When I lost my dad over 10 years ago and my little brother nearly 10 years ago now, it all started to make sense why I felt that way.
‘I started worrying about things and overthinking. I was worrying about my own health, like if I lost two people to cancer and my mum suffers from skin cancer then every kind of lump and bump, I think it’s got me. I’m quite open with health anxiety.’
Tragic: Jake’s father Paul, who separated from Jake’s mother Lisa before his diagnosis, passed away 13 years ago from bone cancer
Jake revealed he recently got over his fear and went for a full body check, and now he aims to get everyone checking more.
He said: ‘I had a full body check not long back but I still struggle to book myself into the doctors. I think I’d rather not know but it is important to do it and put your mind at ease. Fitness is also a huge part of my life, to be fit as long as I can for my kids.’
The I’m A Celebrity star recently had his testicles examined live on Loose Men to raise awareness for cancer.
ITV viewers praised Jake on social media for raising awareness and for being ‘brave’ enough to do it live on TV.
Brave: The I’m A Celebrity star recently had his testicles examined live on Loose Men to raise awareness for cancer
Jake, who is working as a grief ambassador, went on to explain how grief still impacts him daily: ‘I don’t think you ever learn to live with it, you just have to accept that it’s happened and move on and live your life to the fullest because you never know what’s round the corner.
The Dancing On Ice winner shares son Leo with wife Sophie. She is also mum to son Freddie from a previous relationship.
He continued: ‘For me I wasn’t truly happy until I had Leo, everything then fell into place for me, I have this little man who relies on me now and I want to be a good role model and my stepson. I still struggle with grief, it hits me at different points because I don’t think you ever get over it.’
Heartbreaking: His brother Oliver was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – the most common form of bone cancer – in 2010 when he was just 16 and died two years later
Jake is currently enjoying a holiday in Dubai with his family and admitted that even when he appears happy on social media, he still has down days.
He explained: ‘Yesterday we were walking and Soph asked if I was ok and I just replied “no I’m not, I feel anxious today and I don’t know why”‘
‘I think it’s because someone gave me s**t on Instagram and it makes you question yourself but the worst thing you can do is question yourself.
Family: Jake is currently enjoying a holiday in Dubai with his family and admitted that even when he appears happy on social media, he still has down days (pictured with wife Sophie, their son Leo and Jake’s step son Freddie)
Jake has previously slammed vicious trolls who claimed his baby son Leo ‘needed Botox’ and is ‘ugly.
Speaking on how he deals with negative online comments, Jake said: ‘I think now I’ve tried to start ignoring it more, a year ago the feisty Jake in me would have wanted to argue back but at the end of the day that’s what they want. They have made their opinion they won’t change it.
‘I feel sorry for those people as they sit at home trolling people that they have never met.’
When speaking about grief, Jake continued: ‘For me I wasn’t truly happy until I had Leo, everything then fell into place for me, I have this little man who relies on me now and I want to be a good role model and my stepson.’
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