Survivor star, 43, reveals he has cancer and shares the 3 symptoms he ignored
Topics: Cancer, Health, Film and TV, Celebrity
Thomas Bamford
Featured Image Credit: CBS via Getty Images
Topics: Cancer, Health, Film and TV, Celebrity
A fan favourite from one of reality TV's biggest shows has revealed he has been diagnosed with cancer, opening up about three warning signs he dismissed for months before finally seeking help.
Ken McNickle, who reached the final three on Season 33 of Survivor in 2016, shared the news in an Instagram post this week, telling followers he had debated whether to go public before deciding his experience could help others.
"I've made some mistakes in the process and should have taken care of myself better and sooner," McNickle wrote.
"If you have a health concern, don't sit on it. Get yourself checked. There's no valid reason not to. Not one."
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In a follow-up video, the former model and father of one, who issued a "trigger warning" at the start for those who dislike medical details, outlined the signs he had brushed off.
The first was a skin wound near his chest. McNickle said he waited almost a year before seeking treatment, by which point the skin was tearing open.
"Had I gone in sooner, it would have been a simple procedure, not a three-inch hole in my chest," he said.
The second was blood in his stool, which he said he noticed every morning but ignored for nearly three months.
By the time he did seek help, it was confirmed his "insides were tearing open."
The third was a lump in his groin area. McNickle admitted he waited until it had grown to the size of his testicle before getting it checked. While he has not yet disclosed his specific diagnosis, the symptom is consistent with testicular cancer, which is most prevalent in men aged between 20 and 40.
Reflecting on his delays, McNickle said plainly: "I have been so f**king stupid."
McNickle connected his reluctance to seek help to a lifetime of messaging around masculinity. "I heard the words, 'Stop crying. Don't be a baby. Don't be a bitch. Don't be a p—y. Just be a man,'" he said, adding that he believed it had "something to do with" his delayed response.
He went on to highlight what he called an "epidemic" of men's health, noting that men are 50% less likely to visit a doctor for physical ailments and 60% less likely to seek help for mental or emotional issues.
The response from fans has been overwhelmingly supportive, with many thanking McNickle for his openness.
His experience also reflects a broader and concerning trend, research suggests millennials are at a significantly higher risk of developing 17 different cancers compared to older generations, and are twice as likely as boomers to develop colorectal cancer specifically.
McNickle has not yet confirmed his exact diagnosis but has indicated he will share more in the coming days