Reality TV star Andrew Le Page has recalled being diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 20.
The former Love Island star, 28, shared with girlfriend Tasha Ghouri how the traumatic experience was terrifying and he thought his life was over.
He remembered breaking down in tears at work after being given his diagnosis and was sent home to "process the news".
The former estate agent explained how within weeks of discovering the tumour, he flew home to his native Guernsey to have it removed.
Andrew, who reached the final of the ITV2 dating series last summer, shared his story on the latest episode of his partner's podcast, Superpowers with Tasha.
"So I had like a lump on my head for a few years, and my brother felt it and he was like 'Andrew, what is wrong with you? What is that?' and I was like 'I don’t know, I’ve had it there for a while'," Andrew began when talking to Tasha on the show.
"Then and there, he called up the doctor and got me an appointment and I had an MRI scan, then went back to the doctors again, and they told me I had this brain tumour, and it was like 'what the hell?'.
"I went back into my car, started crying, and literally went back to work that afternoon."
The reality TV star continued: "They all knew I’d gone to the doctors for it, and they were like 'Andrew, how’d it go?' and I couldn’t speak.
"Eventually one of my colleagues went to my boss and said 'I think Andrew needs to go home and process this'."
Andrew went on to share how the diagnosis impacted his mental health, recalling: "It was scary, really, really scary, like ‘what the hell?’ This is major, having a brain tumour at 20. Within two weeks I flew to London and had surgery and got it removed, but at the time it was so scary, what could have been.
"Luckily my brother called the doctor because I would have left it. I thought it was just part of my skull, it was hard so I thought it was my skull, and it was big as well.
"At the time it was so scary and I was crying and I couldn’t speak to my colleagues, you know when you want to say something but can’t? It was like that. I got it removed within a month of it all happening and luckily I’m all good."
Elsewhere during the podcast, Andrew also opened up about a severe knee injury, which put an end to his dream of becoming a professional hockey player. The devastating blow came shortly after his tumour was discovered.
Two severe health battles at such a young age caused Andrew to think his "life was over" - with the reality TV star telling his girlfriend of one year how he sat "crying in the car" trying to get his head around the news.
"I was just really terrified, I was so scared, I can’t believe I went back to work, I should have sacked that off," Andrew admitted.
"I didn’t know how to tell anyone. I told my mum and dad straight away obviously and my brother. I was crying and I was so upset like ‘what the hell, I can’t believe this has now happened at such a young age’. I thought it would be something I’d never go through."
He added: "When you’re young, you always think I’m invincible, I’ll live forever and I’ll be able to run forever and do this forever. But then at 20 I thought what is going on? This is ridiculous. Why me? You always think, why me? Even with my knee I always think why me?”
"From then, I was like I’ve just got to live my life. After the surgery and it was fine, I thought that was a close call and I’ve got to enjoy my life as much as I can now.
"It was tough while I was doing it, but it all worked out for the best."
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