British DJ Naughty Boy has opened up about his mum, Zahida's devastating dementia battle, admitting that her diagnosis has changed his life forever.
The 41-year-old recalled his beloved mum's deteriorating health after she suffered a stroke five years ago which brought on her dementia.
Appearing on This Morning with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary, the former I'm A Celebrity star became emotional as he held back tears while detailing his mums health condition.
"Mum has always been our favourite person in the world, and that hasn't changed because of her dementia," Naughty Boy told.
"She had a stroke five years ago. And vascular dementia is a common side effect of a stroke. Mum's dementia kicked in three years go.
"We knew something wasn't right. But until it became official, we just assumed it was something else. But once we knew, then the journey of dementia began."
The DJ has become a carer for his mum since her battle began, and last November, he finally felt ready enough to leave her for a number of weeks to star on I'm A Celebrity.
"I made mum the priority and that is something that will last forever. She knows her son stepped up and I’m glad we are here, she is now in a safe place," Naughty Boy told.
"I was away for a month and everything was fine. I know it’s just a TV show, but what it did for me as someone who lives with someone with dementia was reminded me it is important for both me and my mum to keep doing what I do."
After his appearance on This Morning, viewers flocked to praise the star for sharing his story.
"Dementia is one of the worst things someone will ever have to go through. Props to Naughty Boy for shedding light on that," one viewer shared.
"Wow. That was a powerful chat," someone else echoed.
"So sad watching Naughty Boy talk about his mum on This Morning. Dementia is so cruel," a third tweeted.
Since his mum’s diagnosis, the DJ has become an ambassador for Dementia UK, a charity that can supply Admiral Nurses - those with experience in dementia care - to help out when things get tough.
