The Secret Millionaire star Rob Lloyd puts his life on the line for charity after revealing he's secretly battling cancer
Rob Lloyd is putting his life on the line for charity after revealing he's secretly been battling lymphoma.
The property developer, 57, recently abseiled at London's Olympic Park and will continue to take on a series of challenges throughout the year to raise money for children who are deaf and blind.
Rob was recently scrolling through charity Sense's website when he came across Mia, three, and Charlie Clucas, four, and decided to do all he could to help them.
Charitable: Rob Lloyd, 57, is putting his life on the line with a string of daring challenges for the next year in an effort to help children who are deaf blind amid battling cancer
Rob - who was famously married to The Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ester Dee - opted to take on the challenges while secretly battling cancer.
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He had to undergo gruelling chemotherapy, and although he is still on medication himself, he has challenged himself to a year of daring, and possibly humiliating challenges.
Four months in and he has already put himself through a terrifying skydive, tortuous training with the SAS and a marathon bike ride.
Generous: It was when The Secret Millionaire star was scrolling through charity Sense's website when he came across Mia, four, and Charlie Clucas, three, (pictured) and wanted to help them
Speaking from his home in Rhos on Sea in North Wales Rob said of his cancer diagnosis: 'I was totally shocked and devastated when I discovered I had lymphoma.
'I only went to the doctors after I struggled around the 2019 London Marathon in seven hours and kept getting nose bleeds and feeling rough afterwards.
'After hearing about Mia and Charlie, I contacted Sense to see how I could help,' he continued.
'The Clucas family receive vital support from the Sense Family Centre in Peterborough.
'It is where parents, Andrew and Nikki, have learned new ways of engaging with their children and experiencing new activities, together as a family.
'However, there are tens of thousands of families in the UK caring for children and adults with complex disabilities who are really struggling to cope and need help.
'Cuts to services over the last year have only made matters worse.
'I was thinking about what fundraising challenge I could take on to support Sense, and then I thought, why not do a series of challenges!? So that’s what I’m doing.
'Everyone thinks it’s a bit crazy, so I named it a "Sense-less Challenge."'
'Sense-less' challenge: Four months in and he has already put himself through a terrifying skydive, tortuous training with the SAS and a marathon bike ride
Rob recently had to focus on getting in shape for a 24k march across the Brecon Beacons in late June 2021.
He carried 45lbs on his back, and was followed by two further challenges during Deaf Blind awareness week which started on the 27th June.
Within this week, he abseiled in London's Olympic Park and the Three Peaks challenge.
Former flame: Rob was famously married to The Real Housewives of Cheshire star Ester Dee (pictured in July)
Rob concluded: 'I can't really believe that I elected to do this, but when you survive something as terrible as cancer it reframes how you look at the world and your part in it.
'I have already completed three madcap challenges which included skydiving James Bond style to an SAS weekend and charity bike ride.
'The trouble is I am an overweight 57-year-old man who needs to get fit, fast!
'I have already lost a stone, but I need to lose another two to get on a racehorse later in the year.
'It's going to be 12 months of hell, but if the money I raise goes towards improving the lives of people who are deaf blind or have complex disabilities, then it will have been worthwhile.'
The chief executive of Sense, Richard Kramer, said of his efforts: 'We’re enormously grateful to Rob for taking on this incredible challenge.
'He is a fantastic supporter of Sense, making a huge difference to the work we do to support children and adults who have complex disabilities.
'It’s only thanks to supporters like Rob that Sense is able to continue its work. We wish him the best of luck!'
1 in 5 people in the UK are registered disabled, and more than 400,000 children and adults in the UK have vision and hearing impairments.
Disability can lead to loneliness and isolation, and the number of people living with complex disabilities is only increasing.
Raising awareness: 'It's going to be 12 months of hell, but if the money I raise goes towards improving the lives of people who are deaf blind or have complex disabilities, then it will have been worthwhile.'; pictured in 2009
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