Chris Hughes has been honest about his fertility struggles (Image: ITV)
Former Love Island star Chris Hughes has opened up about his fertility struggles following his family’s gruelling battle with testicular cancer.
The reality star – who is set to appear on this evening – has candidly discussed his struggles with varicoceles – a condition involving swollen veins in the testicles.
In his 2022 documentary, Me, My Brother and Our Balls, the 31-year-old reality TV star opened up about his experience with the condition which required several surgeries. His brother Ben, who has battled testicular cancer, also featured in the documentary.
Since then, the TV star has been raising awareness for testicular health and has become an advocate for men’s health, including working with organisations like BUPA Health to encourage men to regularly check themselves.
Speaking about the documentary, he recalled: “I did a documentary on the with my brother. Hopefully, I can continue to spread awareness, which is important to me.
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Chris admitted his brother Ben has cancer (Image: -ITV)
“I’ve been working with BUPA Health lately. I want to be an advocate for testicular health. It’s something I’ve struggled with, fortunately, it wasn’t cancer, but I’ve had four operations on my testicles myself.
“My brother’s had cancer and my cousin’s had cancer so it’s just about keeping that word spreading and breaking the stigma so men continue to check themselves and talk because it’s a big topic.”
In 2019, Chris revealed on This Morning that his cousin had testicular cancer and that both of his brothers were infertile. He also admitted that he didn’t get examined until he was 20 years old,
The TV favourite explained: “It doesn’t come with a lot of pain it’s easy to neglect. Everyone thinks they know their body. There’s a right way to check them.
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The TV star explained how it has affected his relationships (Image: Getty)
“I’ll be honest with you it’s not something you grab hold of in everyday life. You wash yourself but don’t necessarily use your fingers to identify.”
The Love Island star previously revealed how his fertility struggles have affected his previous relationships. He said: “To meet the girl of your dreams not be able to fulfil her dreams would be awful.
“You settle down and then get a massive setback. I think she’s one of the most wonderful people in the world and would make a great mother. That’s why I want to give her children.”
Testicular cancer usually only affects one testicle, but it can affect both and is most common in men aged 15 to 49, according to the NHS.