Louis Walsh has revealed a private struggle with cancer he experienced during the height of the pandemic.
The former X Factor judge, 71, spoke honestly to his fellow Celebrity Big Brother housemates Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Levi Roots.
Recalling the 2020 lockdown, Levi, a star on Dragons’ Den, started: ‘I really enjoyed lockdown, having the family in the house…’
‘How was lockdown for you, Louis?’, Ekin-Su asked.
‘I was sick,’ he revealed. ‘Nobody knew I was sick.’
The boy band manager was then asked if he had Covid-19, to which he replied: ‘No, I had cancer.’
‘A mild version, a rare one,’ he added, saying it was cancer in his blood.
‘I didn’t even know I had it, so I went to the hospital and they checked me… and then they found it.’
Louis assured the pair that his cancer is now ‘gone’.
However, he still struggles on a psychological level.
‘Did it affect you mentally?’, Ekin-Su asked.
‘It did. I’ve gotta be honest, it did,’ Louis replied despondently.
Pointing to his head, he said: ‘It’s just up here.
‘Even when I go past the hospital, I almost get sick.’
‘It’s all gone, I’m fine,’ the Irish TV personality reiterated.
‘It was just the shock of being sick, and that word, nobody wants that word.’
‘The C-word,’ Levi chimed in.
‘I have it blocked out,’ Louis confessed.
‘It was just a reality check. In my world, it was all about pop music and all that, and I didn’t think of getting sick or anything like that, so that was like, wow, reality check, you’re in the real world.’
In response to the candid talk, social media users expressed their surprise upon learning of Louis’s cancer.
‘Did it stay completely out the press that Louis had cancer??’, asked X user _erinz_.
‘Had no idea Louis had cancer’, said jvdesvocals.
MitchellWebb85 remembered meeting Louis while he had cancer, describing him as ‘kind and funny’, adding: ‘My heart goes out to him, as a cancer survivor myself I know how hard it can be, so I wish him well.’
‘I don’t like Louis, but I would never wish cancer on anyone, I’m glad he found out before it was too late and got help!’, said hanreads_.
NSKLOnline echoed: ‘Glad he’s healthy now’, while CarthyRobbie said it was ‘nuts’ no one knew about Louis’s cancer.
Blood Cancer UK also posted: ‘If you’re watching #CBBUK tonight, you may have seen Louis talk about his diagnosis of blood cancer. We’re glad to hear Louis is doing well, and thank him for opening up about his diagnosis.’
They urged anyone affected by blood cancer and in need of support to call their helpline on 0808 2080 888.
Louis’s time in the CBB house has certainly caused quite a stir.
The music mogul has come under fire on several occasions for putting former X Factor contestants and clients on blast, such as Jedward and Ronan Keating.
Louis called Jedward, who are close in age, 'awful', and later said he earned £5million for them.
He said they were a 'novelty' act for the singing competition, and John and Edward Grimes responded online.
They called Louis 'uncaring' and claimed he never sent them flowers when their mother died.
Celebrity Big Brother airs on Sunday at 9pm on ITV and ITVX.
