HGTV's Tarek El-Moussa's Life Advice For 1.2 Million Instagram Followers
- HGTV star and two-time cancer survivor Tarek El-Moussa, 41, is using his life experience to offer advice and inspiration to his 1.2 million Instagram followers.
- In 2013, Tarek El Moussa was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and testicular cancer, both of which he would beat.
- He is divorced from ex-wife Christina Haack, 39, and is married to his new wife, “Selling Sunset” star Heather Rae Young, 34.
- El-Moussa and Young are expecting a new baby.
- El Moussa’s thyroid cancer diagnosis came after a viewer of his HGTV show, who also happened to be a nurse, noticed a lump on El Moussa's throat while watching him on television.
Two different bouts of cancer, a very public divorce, co-parenting his two children with his ex-wife Christina Haack, 39, and working with his ex on their home improvement show "Flip or Flop."
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Heather and Tarek announced their pregnancy news back in July, and last month the reality star was spotted showing off her bump as she ran errands in the Newport Beach, California area.
Their pregnancy news came as a shock since they had been struggling with fertility issues.
With so much going on, El-Moussa speaks from a lifetime of experience on his Instagram feed to his 1.2 million followers.
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"Reminder that every year, every day, and every minute that you get is a chance to push yourself and do better," he said. "But remember to enjoy yourself along the way."
El-Moussa and Haack have been divorced since 2018, but appeared to remain civil for the sake of co-parenting their children, and for their HGTV show.
Haack has since been married, divorced and married again since the couple’s breakup.
HGTV Show Ends Amid Couple’s Tensions
The show's end was announced in March, with “PEOPLE” magazine reporting that the television show set had become too tense for the exes. The show had been on the air since 2013, when the couple was still married.
"Tarek and Christina are generally cordial. They're co-parenting and nothing gets in the way of that," an unnamed source told “PEOPLE.” "The show was just too intimate of a setting at this point and it was time to close that chapter."
"The writing has been on the wall for a while. It was not sudden," another insider told People of the show's ending.
Haack offered some thoughts on the show's ending, telling “PEOPLE”: "I will be forever grateful to have had a series for a decade. It's a huge accomplishment and everyone who worked on the show should be very proud."
El Moussa married Heather Rae Young last year and Haack is newly married to realtor Joshua Hall, 41.
Prior to her relationship with Hall, Haack married and then divorced “Celebrity IOU: Joyride” host Ant Anstead, 42.
In a statement shared exclusively with People, Tarek El Moussa said: "I couldn't be more grateful for the last ten years with Flip or Flop. The support from our fans, the network and the wild ride that it's been has been incredible.”
Haack expressed a similar message: "I'm looking forward to my next chapter and working in positive, fun and creative environments," she told People. "I'm ready to let go of the stress and enjoy life and all it has to offer."
The last-ever episode of the HGTV classic Flip or Flop aired March 17, 2022.
Tarek El Moussa's Cancer Battles
In 2013, Tarek El Moussa was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and testicular cancer, both of which he would beat.
His thyroid cancer diagnosis came after a viewer of his HGTV show, who also happened to be a nurse, noticed a lump on El Moussa's throat while watching him on television.
She contacted the network, telling them what she had seen.
In the same year, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
Related: If You Feel Something, Say Something Men Ignore Symptoms Too Often
During a 2017 interview with “PEOPLE” magazine, El Moussa said of the experience: "I was at one building doing my thyroid stuff, and mentioned I was going across the street to get an ultrasound done. I'll never forget the doctor joking, 'I hope you don't have cancer!'"
Testicular cancer survivor Tripp Hornick on how men can overcome feeling shame after a diagnosis
The treatment path for both types of cancers depends upon the stage at which the cancer is diagnosed.
Common treatments for testicular cancer include chemotherapy, surgery and radiation.
Treatments for thyroid cancer can include surgery, hormone therapy, radioactive iodine, radiation and, in some cases, chemotherapy.
Understanding Testicular Cancer
Testicular cancer starts in the testicles, also called testes, which are part of the male reproductive system.
The two organs are each normally a little smaller than a golf ball in adult males, according to the American Cancer Society.
The testes are held within a sac of skin called the scrotum, which hangs under the base of the penis.
Testicular cancer is not common — about one out of every 250 males will develop testicular cancer at some point during their lifetime.
A man's lifetime risk of dying from this cancer is very low about one in 5,000.
Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, previously told SurvivorNet that testicular cancer doesn't often present with pain, but it can.
"Most men will present with some sort of mass on their testicle; a sexual partner or spouse may feel the mass when they're being intimate," he said, adding that some men may notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer, which is a less common symptom.
Related: Save A Nut!: Testicular Cancer Survivor Mark Borja Makes it His Mission to Spread Awareness
Understanding Thyroid Cancer
Thyroid cancer, the first cancer Tarek El Moussa was diagnosed with, is a type of cancer that starts in the thyroid gland that creates hormones that help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.
Spotting thyroid cancer can often be difficult. ACS reports that symptoms may include a lump, swelling or pain in the neck, voice changes, trouble swallowing or breathing or even a constant cough.
"Most people have no discrete symptoms; the majority of cases now are found incidentally," Dr. Allen Ho, a head and neck surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, previously told SurvivorNet. "However, a sizable number of people may first discover their cancer when they feel a bump on their neck."
"Other possible late symptoms include problems swallowing, the sensation of something in their throat, neck compression when laying flat or voice changes," Dr. Ho added.
The good news is that many of these possible symptoms, including lumps in the thyroid, are both common and commonly benign, but it never hurts to ask your doctor.
Chances of cancer recovery increase significantly with early detection, so it is important to address any warning signs of thyroid cancer, or any cancer, with a medical expert as soon as possible.
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
