Roxy Horner has revealed she sometimes feels like a 'burden' to her fiancé, comedian Jack Whitehall, because of her Type 1 diabetes. The model, 32, was diagnosed with the condition in 2021 just before her 30th birthday, after collapsing at the Brit Awards which Whitehall was hosting.
Speaking to the Standard during Diabetes Awareness Week, Horner said Whitehall has been her 'rock' throughout her diagnosis and management of the condition. 'We met before I got diagnosed so he was there for the whole journey,' she explained. 'It was lockdown when I got diagnosed, I was really sick and didn't have my family around so he was my rock through it all.'
Despite her gratitude, Horner admitted she sometimes feels guilty. 'Sometimes you think “I feel like a burden because I’ve got this health condition”, but when you’ve got the right support around you, it’s amazing,' she said. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Elsie, last September.
Horner is now working with glucose monitoring device manufacturer Dexcom for their 'I Wish You Knew' campaign, aiming to dispel misconceptions about diabetes. 'I wish other people would know that diabetes is serious and it is a struggle, even if we put on a brave face,' she said. 'We can still live normal lives and diabetes doesn’t make us who we are, but it is a part of us. It’s serious, but liveable.'
