Former England rugby star Ben Cohen has disclosed that his daughter Isabelle requires a pacemaker, in emotional scenes from the upcoming series of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. The 47-year-old described the past 18 months as 'horrendous', citing his on-off relationship with Kristina Rihanoff and financial difficulties.
Cohen, who shares twins Isabelle and Harriet with ex-wife Abby Cohen, and daughter Milena with Kristina, spoke during a tense interrogation on the show. 'It's been horrendous. Izzy is having a pacemaker fitted and it's a lot to process,' he said. 'How do you deal with it? You be strong for your daughter, you have to be that pillar of strength.'
The father-of-three did not specify Isabelle's condition, but a pacemaker is a small implanted device that regulates heartbeat. Cohen also wrote an emotional letter to his daughter, praising her courage following her diagnosis.
Cohen added: 'There's so much going on in my life personally, in so many different areas, when you get to this point it almost takes the f*****g lid off the can and all those emotions swirl with each other.' He is also expected to open up about the death of his father, Peter Cohen, brother of 1966 World Cup winner George.
The revelations come amid reports that Cohen and Kristina Rihanoff have rekindled their romance after a split earlier this year. The couple, who met on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013, had faced financial troubles during the pandemic, with Cohen telling a court he had to 'fight not to lose everything'.
