Strictly Come Dancing star Tom Fletcher has opened up about his life-long fear of aliens - revealing he had to sleep with the TV on to curb his worries.
The 36-year-old dad-of-three has the scary prospect of facing off against the Strictly judges each week on the BBC competition, but that’s nothing compared to the alien worries he’s had since being a child.
Speaking to Daily Star, he said: “It was my dad who first introduced us. He used to tell me stories about them.
“One story in particular sticks in my mind - about travellers camping in a log cabin overnight, only realising an alien had been watching them for hours once its face had disappeared from the moonlit window.
“That story put an alien in my head that would never leave.”
In fact, his fears would prove so long-lasting that he would get worried that aliens would visit while he was in his hotel room while on tour.
Tom said that in order to get any sleep at all, he’d leave the TV on with the sound down, and keep his bathroom door open.
His sleep issues eventually led him to seeking help from a doctor in 2010, who referred him to a number of specialists, one of which diagnosed him with bipolar disorder.
“I told him about my night terrors and how, almost every night for as long as I could remember, I’d been rigid with fear,” he said.
He said that the more he opened up about the "strange fears" that had plagued him his whole life, the more relieved he felt.
He said the doctors didn't look at him like he was "crazy", but talked about what they could do to fix his issue.
Saying a “light went on” when he was given the diagnosis, he added that another doctor did not say the same thing, but ultimately he didn’t know the truth regarding his mental health.
Now on a much better footing, Tom is now storming the competition on Strictly Come Dancing, after having had to sit out a week due to testing positive for coronavirus.
Returning to the show in time for movie week, Tom impressed the judges with his Back To The Future inspired jive.
The film has a particular place in his heart as his favourite film, so much so that McFly’s name was inspired by the lead character, Marty McFly, played by Michael J Fox.
Alongside dance partner Amy Dowden, he scored 32 points - landing him in the top half of the leaderboard.
John Whaite and Johannes Radebe came out on top with 39 out of 40 points for their Pirates of the Caribbean paso doble, while Olympian Adam Peaty and Katya Jones landed at the bottom with his 20 points for their Avatar-inspired rumba.
However it’s still all to play for, with the pre-recorded results show airing tonight.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One.
