Celebrity Big Brother star Louis Walsh opens up about "rare" cancer diagnosis - symptoms explained

Celebrity Big Brother star Louis Walsh has made a surprising revelation to his TV housemates.

The music manager and X-Factor judge has made headlines not for his television appearances or music ventures, but for his battle against cancer. While speaking to other celebrities inside the Big Brother house, Walsh disclosed his diagnosis and outlined his journey toward recovery.

The 69-year-old Irish entertainment mogul revealed that he had been diagnosed with Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia - a rare form of cancer - and has since undergone treatment. At the time, he kept the diagnosis private.

He said: "I was sick, but nobody knew I was sick. I had cancer. A mild version, a Waldenstrom, a rare one.

"In my blood, I didn’t even know that I had it until I went to the hospital, and they checked me, checked me, checked me, then they found it. They said it’s a rare one.

"It did affect me mentally, I got to be honest with you. It’s just up here, even when I go past a hospital I almost get sick. t’s all gone, I’m fine. It was just the shock of being sick and that word, nobody wants that word. I have blocked it out, a reality check, you see so many people sick and it’s terrible."

"In my world it was all about pop music and all that. I didn’t think of anybody getting sick or anything like that. And that was like wow reality check, you’re in the real world."

Macmillan Cancer Support describes Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia as a form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, which is sometimes called lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. The most common symptoms are fatigue, repeated infections, bruising or bleeding easily and weight loss.

Throughout his career in the entertainment industry, Walsh has earned a reputation for his sharp wit and keen eye for talent, and unwavering dedication to his craft. However, he has clashed with some of his former acts describing Jedward as "vile" to his Celebrity Big Brother housemates and being described by Ronan Keating as "jealous" in an old radio interview.