G4's Ansell reveals ME battle

Jonathan Ansell has revealed that he suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as ME.

The former G4 singer said that he has a physical breakdown two or three times a year brought on by a childhood bout of glandular fever.

"I was working during the school holidays at Tesco but one day I told my mum I had a sore throat and a temperature, and couldn't go in. My GP gave me a blood test and said I had glandular fever and that nothing could be done apart from total rest," he told The Mail.

"I was devastated. I felt my whole life was passing me by."

The illness confined the star to his bed for months and damaged his appearance.

"I lost two-and-a-half stone and I watched as the muscular rugby playing legs I was so proud of wasted to nothing. I lost all definition in my body and my eyes looked sunken," he said.

"I never thought it would end. I was so depressed and feared the singing career I'd always dreamed of was finished before it had begun."

Ansell added that he has learned to cope with the illness, saying: "When I have a relapse I go to my home in Battersea and collapse. The symptoms are always the same - total tiredness, not being able to stand, not wanting to eat. I also struggle with my memory and have a sore throat.

"We have a large sofa in our lounge and when it happens I stay there for five or six days, treating it as a bed. But although I feel so depleted, I only sleep intermittently."

A reported 240,000 people suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome in the UK.