Love Island star Samie Elishi gets cancer check after fans spot lump
YouTube/Samie ElishiLove Island star Samie Elishi is having tests for thyroid cancer after fans spotted a lump on her neck while she was in the villa.
The 23-year-old, who was in this year's winter series, says her mum didn't even notice it while she was on the show.
"It was only because I went on the show that fans who were so invested actually spotted it," she tells Newsbeat.
Samie's lump has been graded as a 'three' by doctors which means they don't know if it's cancerous or not.
She's now having half her thyroid removed for tests, and if the lump is cancerous she'll need to have the other half removed.
Samie, who made the final of Love Island, says she wouldn't have got the lump checked out if fans hadn't got in touch with her while she was on the show.
"After the villa, my family and friends said they'd been getting messages from girls saying I have a lump on my neck and these girls had been sending pictures saying I could have thyroid cancer," she says.
"I thought people are crazy and dismissed it.
"I had no idea. I could've had this on my neck for another 10 years. I feel like my purpose for going on the show was to discover this."
Samie spoke to fans about the cancer scare in a YouTube video and says she wants to raise awareness about it.
"We went to the doctors and had blood tests. All my bloods were fine and then doctors got more concerned so I had to have a biopsy and multiple scans.
"And then they confirmed it was a 5cm lump on my thyroid.
"It's scary. It got so overwhelming at one point, you don't know what anyone's going through unless you know them so I thought I have to speak out about it."
ReutersThyroid cancer is a rare type of cancer affecting the thyroid gland, a small gland at the bottom of the neck that makes hormones.
The NHS says symptoms can include a painless lump or swelling in the front of the neck, swollen glands in the neck, a sore throat that doesn't get better and difficulty swallowing.
It's most common in people in their 30s and women are two to three times more likely to develop it than men.
Samie says she's grateful for support she's received from people like Love Island 2020 contestant Demi Jones, who was also diagnosed with thyroid cancer after going on the show.
Demi, who announced she was cancer free in December 2021, reached out to Samie after finding out what's she's going through.
"It's super comforting because Demi is a similar age to me," Samie says.
"It calms me down to see Demi carrying on and doing well. And I just hope the awareness continues to be spread.
"It could've been much worse but luckily I've got it at such an early age. Fingers crossed it isn't cancer and the surgery will be fine.
"But it's still scary - who's 23 and has to go through this? You expect everything else apart from this."
