Alexandra Burke's footballer boyfriend Angus MacDonald has revealed he has bowel cancer - just days after he threw her a lavish birthday bash.
The 26-year-old Hull City defender has been diagnosed with the early stages of bowel cancer, with the club confirming news in a statement on behalf of the defender.
MacDonald has now posted on his Instagram account this evening, saying the news has come as a 'shock' but that he will be ready to fight this new challenge 'head-on.'
It comes just two days after he put on an extravagant celebration for Burke's 31st birthday, that included a trip to celebrity hotspot Sheesh in Essex on Monday night.
The defender, who has spent the last 12 months on the sidelines, confirmed he will be taking a few days of social media to process the difficult news.
He said: 'This is not an easy post to write but life isn't always an easy road to navigate. The news broke today from my club that I have been diagnosed with Bowel Cancer.
'After a year on the sidelines and recently getting back into full training, returning to the pitch felt closer than ever, so this news has come as a complete shock and is hard to take and fully process.
'However, I'm blessed to have fantastic family and friends and some very good people around me to help me get through this, as well as amazing teammates and staff at the club who have been with me all the way through the past year.
'I'm getting my head around this new challenge that lies ahead. I will be ready to fight this head-on, and I'm going to do whatever I can to get back to full health and back on that pitch.'
MacDonald, who signed for the Tigers in the January transfer window of 2018, played just three games last season before suffering injury, with the player having only just recovered from deep vein thrombosis.
MacDonald had pulled out all the stops for Burke's 31st birthday.
The singer, who turned 31 last week, was spoiled by the player, 26, as he treated her and her family to a lavish party at celeb hotspot Sheesh in Essex on Monday night.
Taking to Instagram, Alexandra, who only split from her fiancé Josh Ginnelly recently, shared a besotted snap in front of the restaurant and thanked Angus for his generosity.
Alexandra and Angus went public with their romance back in July, after were seen together at Wimbledon.
The Broken Heels hitmaker first sparked speculation she had broken up with her fiancé mid-June when she wiped him from her Instagram account.
A club statement read: 'Hull are sad to announce that Angus MacDonald has been diagnosed with early stages of bowel cancer.
'Angus has shown great strength of character in the way he has reacted to this news. The whole Tigers family join together in showing Angus continued love and will support him in his recovery.
'His physical and mental wellbeing are our number one priority at this moment in time.
'The Club kindly requests that supporters and the media respect the privacy of Angus and his family at this time. Please also note that any further updates on his progress will be provided by the Club.'