Married at First Sight star Ryan Livesey ignored 'embarrassing' symptom before bladder cancer diagnosis age 22

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Married at First Sight UK groom Ryan Livesey has spoken out about being diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 22 - and admitted he ignored the first symptom out of embarrassment.

Livesey, who was introduced on the E4 dating show during last night’s episode (Tuesday October 8), has candidly discussed how he went “instantly numb” when he was diagnosed with the disease.

The semi-professional footballer, aged 29, who now works as a bin man, said he is in remission but the cancer could come back. He spoke on the show about how his diagnosis has hindered his dating life, as he believes people hear the word cancer and immediately think of death and therefore potential partners question how long he’ll be around for.

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The dad-of-one, who shares his six-year-old son Leo was a previous partner, also broke down in tears as he said he received his diagnosis when his ex was pregnant and he feared he would never meet his son.

In an interview with The Sun, Livesey, from Manchester, has admitted that he ignored his cancer symptoms before he finally went to the doctors and was diagnosed. Speaking about his symptoms, he said: 'I started wetting the bed, it was really embarrassing but I put it down to having too much to drink and of course, I didn't tell anyone and hid it.

'I'd go to the toilet and not feel like I was emptying my bladder properly. I'd have to go again 20 minutes later because I couldn't hold it in. Looking back now, I should have known something was wrong but because the increase in frequency happened gradually, I was able to ignore it.'

Married at First Sight UK 2024 groom Ryan Livesey, who has spoken out about being diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 22. Photo by E4.Married at First Sight UK 2024 groom Ryan Livesey, who has spoken out about being diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 22. Photo by E4.
Married at First Sight UK 2024 groom Ryan Livesey, who has spoken out about being diagnosed with bladder cancer at the age of 22. Photo by E4. | E4

Livesey also urged men to pay attention to their health, and added that he believes men can put off visiting the doctor due to embarrassment or pride. He was prompted to go to the doctor in 2017 when he first began to notice blood in his urine, after struggling with bed-wetting for several months.

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It was in May that year, after he reluctantly made an appointment with his GP when the amount of blood began to increase, that he was diagnosed with stage two bladder cancer. He said: “I remember my doctor saying the word cancer and I felt instantly numb.”

For his treatment, Livesey was told he needed surgery to remove the cancer, a week of chemotherapy, and to have the lining of his bladder scraped. He added that he suffered with “anxiety and depression” during his treatement, as it came at around the same time his son was born.

The reality star goes for annual checks to make sure his cancer hasn't returned, and admitted he still “worries about it a lot”.

Bladder cancer is where a growth of abnormal tissue, known as a tumour, develops in the bladder lining. In some cases, the tumour spreads into the bladder muscle, according to the NHS. The most common symptom of bladder cancer is blood in urine, which is usually painless.

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MAFS viewers saw Livesey marry 29-year-old Sionainn Carmichael, a make-up artist from Glasgow. Shortly after he said ‘I do’ he told his new wife about his cancer diagnosis for the first time. He told her that his cancer “could come back” and it's just “something he has to live with”.

Carmichael took the news well, and also opened up about how cancer has affected her family, telling her new husband that she had lost her dad to the disease.

  • Married At First Sight UK continues every Monday to Thursday at 9pm on E4.

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