Rylan Clark-Neal had to leave the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ and return to the UK because his husband was struck down with a mystery illness.
The 29-year-old presenter had been in Lisbon, Portugal, hosting the semi-final shows with Radio 1 DJ Scott Mills for the BBC but a day before the final was due to take place on May 12 he went back home citing "unforeseen circumstances" at the time.
Rylan has now revealed that he had to make the 985-mile trip to England to support his spouse Dan Neal who had become really sick.
In an interview with The Sun Online, he said: "It got to the Friday, the day before the final. I’m not going to lie, I was so excited to be there. I’ve always been a fan and so to be asked to do it in the first place was a big tick off my list. But when I found out Dan was ill I didn’t say anything to anyone. I just went on my phone, booked my flight and then explained, ‘I’m really sorry, but I’ve got to go home.’ Everyone got it because I wasn’t going to do that lightly. I went back to sort everything that needed to be sorted out."
Rylan will not reveal what Dan’s illness was but he has assured his fans that he is now "fine".
The couple met shortly after Rylan was crowned the winner of the 2013 series of ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ and after two years of dating they tied the knot in November 2015.
And the part-time ‘This Morning’ host has admitted it was Dan who persuaded him to take a much-needed break from his mixture of TV work last year to get his mental health right after a series of personal problems rocked him.
The ‘Big Brother’s Bit on the Side’ star said: "I have had a lot of things go on in my personal life over the past few years that no one would ever have imagined is going on in my life. But I go to work and I do the job I need to do. Sometimes it is hard, because you forget that person you’re watching on screen might have had the worst 24 hours. But you come in and get the veneers out to put a brave face on.
"It is really hard sometimes, but I love my job. My job is one of the things that keeps me sane … But I’ve been working morning, noon and night for the past seven years since going on The X Factor. The whole first year of my career was a public vote. I know exactly where I’ve come from and the public played a massive part and I’ll never forget that, but I shouldn’t have to explain to anyone I need a break. I do work hard."
Rylan Clark-Neal left Eurovision to be with sick husband
