When was Tom Ball diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes? Singer opens up about struggling to live with the incurable disease

English singer Tom Ball, who gained recognition after participating in Britain's Got Talent and America's Got Talent: All Stars, recently opened up about living with Type 1 diabetes. He was diagnosed with the same at the age of eight and spoke about this in an interview with the Type 1 Discovery Magazine last year. He mentioned that he never opened up about his diagnosis "unless absolutely necessary."

"I didn't want my diabetes to define or shape me," he said.

He recently spoke to BANG Showbiz and revealed that he had not spoken about his condition until he appeared on Britain's Got Talent in 2022.

"I never spoke about my diabetes until really 'BGT' when I realised I had a platform and I could try and use it for good a little bit," he said.

26-year-old Tom Ball, who was born in England, spoke to the publication about the "immense pressure" of living with the incurable disease. He mentioned that every decision he takes involves considering its impact on his health.

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Curtain Call artist Tom Ball opens up about living with Type 1 diabetes and its impact on his life's decisions

In a recent conversation with BANG Showbiz, 26-year-old Ball spoke about his incurable condition- Type 1 diabetes. He mentioned during the interview that when he participated in Britain's Got Talent, he realized that he could use the platform to spread awareness about the same. Speaking about the condition, he said:

"Obviously I’m Type One diabetic, so it’s incurable, there is no cure for it and they don’t know how you get it either."

He added that it affects every sphere of his life and said:

"I have to be conscious about when I inject - so I have to wear two needles on my body 24 hours a day, I sleep with those needles in - I have got tubing coming out of my stomach constantly. I have to inject myself and be conscious of my blood glucose readings constantly."

Adding to this, Tom Ball said that it wasn't just food that could impact his blood glucose levels. External factors like stress levels, outside temperature, anxiety, and more could also contribute to an imbalance. He stated that his condition impacts every decision he makes and said:

"Everything I do in life - there is a thought behind it of, 'How is this going to affect my health?', and if I don’t look after me, it’s very severe, it’s ultimately death."

Speaking about the "immense pressure" of living with the condition, he added:

"If I just don’t look after myself, I end up in hospital, and [if] they don’t do anything, then I end up no longer with us."

Tom Ball then spoke about the impact his diagnosis had on his parents and stated that they "did everything" in their capacity for him.

He also admitted that his family worries about his health as he tours and performs around the world. He added that his wife Hannah Burtenshaw demands he send her his blood glucose readings and "starts to panic" if he doesn't.

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Tom Ball rose to fame after Britain's Got Talent, where he secured the third position

Ball began his career with Britain's Got Talent in 2022 and performed Writing’s On The Wall by Sam Smith for his audition. He wowed the fans and judges throughout the show and made it to the final, where he finished third after Axel Blake and Jamie Leahey.

Last year, in January he auditioned for America's Got Talent: All Stars. While Tom Ball reached the final, he didn't manage to enter the top five.

Tom Ball recently released his debut album Curtain Call earlier this year. This studio album was dropped after he was signed by Westway Music in June 2023.