Married At First Sight’s JJ Slater has opened up on a recent diagnosis that has resulted in him shedding a staggering amount of weight.
The 31-year old Essex native found fame this summer on the E4 after ditching his bride Bianca Petronzi and hooking up with transgender co-star Ella Morgan Clark almost instantly after a series of flirtatious encounters. After the pair split at the final hurdle, the drama has continued for JJ, however, who has since discovered he is suffering from a serious health condition.
JJ was hospitalised just days before Christmas having lost one-and-a-half stone in three weeks where he was found to have a dangerously high blood sugar level. Doctors subsequently informed him he has type 1 diabetes and will require four insulin injections a day and must regulate his food intake.
READ MORE: Jorgie Porter’s sexiest snaps – topless tape snap, sheer lingerie and barely-there bikinis
READ MORE: Hollyoaks legend unrecognisable in rival soap EastEnders role as Cindy Beale’s mother
Now, JJ, who learned he is at risk of potentially life-threatening diabetic ketoacidosis, has explained the symptoms he developed in the build up to his hospital admission.
(Image: E4)
“The first signs were that I always felt thirsty and needed to go the toilet in the middle of the night,” he told MailOnline. “I was waking up 4-5 times needing the toilet. Then I started to lose weight quite quickly. I lost about a stone and a half in three weeks, but I was still eating the same and going to the gym every day.”
Feeling like he was “detoriating” rapidly, JJ noted that he was feeling “lightheaded” on a daily basis, which prompted him to get checked out with a blood test. The following day he woke to a series of missed calls from the GP, sparking serious concerns something was wrong.
(Image: Channel 4)
JJ continued: “The average person’s blood sugar is 4-7 and mine was 34, so mine was super high and there are a lot of complications that come with that. Your blood can become acidic, which is called DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis)… they were afraid that my glucose was so high that the process had already started. Luckily, it hasn’t so being diagnosed before that happened was crucial.”
The star says thankfully he is now coming to terms with the condition and “getting his head around” dealing with the issue for the rest of his life. JJ’s type 1 is the result of an autoimmune disease, whereas type 2 is triggered by lifestyle choices.
(Image: Instagram/johnjoeslater)
Elsewhere in the MAFS universe, expert Melanie Schilling has revealed she has sadly been diagnosed with colon cancer. The dating coach, 51, took to Instagram earlier this month to share the heartbreaking news with her followers. Alongside a photo of Mel embracing her husband Gareth Brisbane, 51, and their eight-year-old daughter Madison, she wrote: “‘YOU HAVE CANCER’ Three little words that everyone dreads but no one ever expects to hear.”
Mel continued: “Last Thursday my consultant told me those 3 words.” The psychologist recalled visiting the doctor after suffering stomach cramps while filming MAFS Australia. “About a month ago when I was filming in Australia I developed severe stomach cramps on set, I put it down to all the travel I’d been doing and the upset it caused to my system,” she said. “I saw my GP in Sydney and he put it down to constipation, gave me some laxatives and sent me on my way.”
For more of the latest showbiz and TV news from the Daily Star, make sure you sign up for one of our newsletters here.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
