BRIAN KENNEDY HAS opened up about how his life has changed since being diagnosed with rectal cancer.

Speaking on TV3′s Elaine, Kennedy urged men to not let embarrassment stop them from getting regular check-ups.

The singer, who turned 50 last year, told Elaine he recently received a letter from a man that had the title ‘You have saved my life’.

“For 10 seconds of embarrassment it can alter your life. This guy had a bunch a kids, he found out [he had cancer], he was operated on, he’s in great shape. Already from one interview that I gave someone could see this and decided to go to the GP.

“[Men] don’t seem to have the language. We’re great at telling the filthy jokes and all of that but when it comes to serious subjects, when it comes to below the belt, it’s all like, ‘Oh no, I’m not going to the GP and dropping the pants’.”

Treatment 

The former Eurovision hopeful also said his love life hasn’t suffered since his treatment.

“It’s a wee bit a conversation killer when you suddenly have to start talking about cancer, in particular rectal cancer…

“I’ve always had a very, very high sex drive since I was very young and that is one of the worries about having chemo or radiation as that can kill that kind of stuff. And let me tell you it is the opposite.”

Kennedy said he is still receiving treatment and his tumour is shrinking, but he hasn’t been given the all-clear yet.

Read: Ivanka Trump defends father at women’s summit, gets laughed at

Read: Some of Three’s customers wrongly told they’ve spent hundreds on internet services