Gogglebox Australia star Tim Lai has opened up about his battle with cancer.
The 47-year-old TV star joined the show in 2019 alongside his sister Leanne. Last November Tim revealed that he has secretly been battling cancer, although he did not disclose what he was being treated for.
“I’m currently in the recovery phase of my chemo cycle, so I’m actually feeling quite good,” he said in an interview with Woman’s Day.
The star said he has always been a “glass half-full kind of person”, and talked about the new season of Gogglebox Australia set to return this week.
“I love filming Gogglebox. Especially now, when at times the road can seem quite dark, it’s something to look forward to. And it’s actually what’s pulled me through the last few months, knowing that we’re coming back on air.”
Tim also said he was eager to finally be able to travel interstate, after being on medical lockdown for months.
“I love bagpipes, and next weekend, there’s the [Royal] Edinburgh Military Tattoo. So I said to my doctors, ‘I need you to get me healthy enough to go up to Brisbane, because I need to listen to my bagpipes.’”
“There’s a permanent imprint on my couch, because I’ve just been lying there since late October watching everything on TV.”
Tim shared that his castmates have been very supportive throughout this journey.
“We are one big dysfunctional family, but one dysfunctional family that’s just surrounded by love.
“Lee is my bestie, we are the odd couple, and she calls me all the time. We’re chatting every few days. She unfortunately lost her dad to cancer, so I told Lee before I told anyone else outside my immediate family, and it hit her a lot harder than it hit me when my doctor told me of my diagnosis – but she has been amazing.”
He also revealed that the Daltons have also been checking in on him, saying: “I couldn’t ask for a more beautiful bunch of people.”
Tim has also been leaning on his family and is part of a cancer survivors’ support group.
“There is nothing that you can’t overcome, and there’s nothing you can’t survive with positivity and a smile on your face,” he said.
“I’m not the first person in my family to go through this. Early last year, my brother had a brain tumour removed, and so we as a family went through that.
“We’ll get through it together again. And my mentor, who doesn’t live too far from me, has taken me under her wing. I call her if I feel really low.”
Gogglebox Australia returns this Thursday at 7.30pm on Ten.
Images: Instagram
