A tearful Ashley Cain has explained exactly why he'll never shave his beard.
The UK reality star suffered a monumental loss after he and his now ex-girlfriend, Safiyya Vorajee, lost their child back in 2021.
Little Azaylia was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer at just eight weeks old, with tumours having grown on her lungs, stomach and kidneys. She sadly passed away after undergoing several rounds of chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
The former Ex On The Beach contestant has since opened up about his grief on ITV's emotional reality show, The Real Full Monty Christmas Special which sees a line-up of celebrities strip down in front of a live audience in order to raise money for cancer.
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Ashley, 33, recalled how he was living at the hospital with Azaylia during the Coronavirus pandemic and wasn't able to get a haircut when he starting growing his beard.
"My beard was growing and Azaylia was growing, she used to hold onto it," he said.
"She used to pull me in with it, she used to roll her toes through it and it was our little connection and I just kind of thought, she's touched these very hairs on my face so I'm never going to cut them off."
He continued: "And this beard is my strength and regardless to whether people like it or they don't, it's going to stay on my face and it's just a beautiful memory of the days that we used to laugh and we used to play."
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Ashley then added: "I think I'm quite fortunate that it suits me, because it ain't going anywhere."
When asked by 58-year-old TV star Coleen Nolan how the whole process has been for him, Ashley replied: "I'm erm, you know, a fighter today. I'm f*cking angry.
"I'm angry, you know. Every single day that I wake up in the morning - I'm sad. Every single day that I wake up in the morning, I'm in pain. I go through mega, extreme amounts of trauma, you know.
"Cancer took something from me that's way more important than my own life and I miss that little girl."
The TV personality also said that he wanted to do 'everything he can do in life' to help out other grieving parents dealing with a similar situation.
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He added: "And other kids don't have to go through what that little hero went through."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Instagram/@mrashleycainTopics: Celebrity, Ashley Cain, Parenting, Health, ITV, TV And Film