Ben Cohen has revealed his teenage daughter Isabelle has been diagnosed with a heart condition. The former rugby player shared how the 17-year-old, whom he shares with ex-wife Abby Cohen, has had a pacemaker fitted.
According to The Sun, the star opens up about her health struggles while appearing on an upcoming episode of Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. "It's been horrendous," said Ben, 47, referring to the past 18 months. "Izzy is having a pacemaker fitted and it's a lot to process.
"How do you deal with it? You have to be strong for your daughter, you have to be that pillar of strength. That's when the self-neglect comes in because you prioritise other things before yourself."
The ex-sportsman didn’t reveal what his daughter's heart condition is. However, according to the NHS, the small electrical device is surgically implanted into the chest to keep the heart beating regularly.
Ben is also father to Isabelle's twin Harriet from his former relationship, and a nine-year-old daughter Milena with current partner Kristina Rihanoff. He has been on-off with the former Strictly Come Dancing pro, who he met while they were both appearing on the 2013 series.
The couple, who got engaged in 2022, announced in March that they had split, with financial troubles believed to be the cause of their relationship strain. However, in October, it was reported that they were back together.
During the new Channel 4 show, Ben is said by The Sun to write a moving letter to Isabelle, in which he praises her bravery. "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…lid off the can and all those emotions swirl with each other," he shared. "There has been a lot of horrible stuff happening in my life and you don't realise what is going to come back and get you a little bit later."
It comes after Ben and Kristina previously appeared in court back in September 2024, when the latter was found driving her car without insurance. "I get up every day and I fight not to lose everything to lose my cars and my house and my relationship," the rugby player told the court, reported the Northamptonshire Telegraph. "I've got credit cards that are overdrawn. I'm overdrawn in both accounts. We have got a business debt because of Covid. It's just another problem."