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Britain's Got Talent winner Jon Courtenay has revealed he was secretly battling skin cancer during his time on the show.
The 48 year old rose to fame last year on the hit ITV show, beating children's sign language choir Sign Along With Us.
But the musical comedian has now opened up on the secret ordeal he was dealing with behind the scenes of the show.
Jon says he noticed a mole on the side of his head in January last year, around the same time he earned show hosts Ant & Dec's golden buzzer.
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However, he did not get the mole checked for six months, heading to his GP in July.
The mole was removed in August, and he was diagnosed with melanoma just weeks before the show's semi-finals.
Speaking to The Sun Online about his secret ordeal, Jon said: "The doctor's face was so serious I thought I only had days to live.
"I was being referred to a specialist immediately because there was a strong possibility it had spread to my lymph nodes"
An operation was booked days after the show's final In October, with Jon admitting: "I was in so much fear about the future.
"I had panic attacks. But I was grateful to be busy with BGT," he continued.
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After winning the show and collecting the £250,000 prize, Jon admitted he was relieved money would be left for his wife Emmah, 44, and sons Nathan, 15, and Alfie, nine, if he was unable to beat the disease.
He said: "My first thought was, 'If the worst happens, it's a big chunk of money for my family'."
Jon was given the all clear just before Christmas, and filmed the show's Christmas special wearing a Santa hat to cover the wound from his operation.
Britain's Got Talent
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Amanda Holden cuts a stylish figure as she showcases tanned legs in mini skirt after work
Britain’s Got Talent producers ‘almost certain’ show won’t go ahead until 2022 amid pandemic
Meanwhile, it has been reported that Britain's Got Talent will "almost certainly" not be on air until 2022 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
A source told Mirror online: The nature of Britain’s Got Talent means we have all sorts of contestants from all sorts of places – home and abroad – taking part.
While many people will have been vaccinated by the summer it remains unclear what the restrictions on mass mingling and on travel will be, so there are absolutely no guarantees production can go ahead.
The chances of it airing this year range from extremely slim to non-existent – and it’s almost certain to be the latter. No one’s happy about it – but that’s the way it is.
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