The Apprentice's Tre Lowe reveals teenage illness left him locked in his body

Apprentice contestant Tre Lowe has revealed how a teenage illness left him locked in his body and still suffering from ringing in the ears to this day.

The former garage star turned wellness entrepreneur – known for his 2000s hit Body Groove – has spoken out about his condition, admitting he considered suicide after the medical problems he suffered when he was teenager had left him with excruciating headaches.

But he overcame his condition after learning meditation and became a successful entrepreneur and motivational speaker.

Lowe told the Stripping Off with Matt Haycox podcast how in 1990, when he was 15, he suffered acute appendicitis, then an allergic reaction to an anti-nausea medication left him trapped in his body. . He explains: “Your eyes are rolled back in your head and you're stiff, it's so violent. It's a spasm and it's worse than paralysis.”

He added: “Paralysis is when your body goes limp, a spasm is when you're locked in. And when I was a kid I was afraid of enclosed spaces. There's nothing more claustrophobic than being trapped in your own body It was terrifying I know exactly what's happening, I'm trapped in my own body, I can only move my eyes.

“My body was suffering from massive post-traumatic stress syndrome [post traumatic stress disorder] and when I came out, my life had changed. I had a ringing in my ears, the world seemed unreal, like I was dreaming, and I had this feeling of pressure in the back of my head.

“Today, I still have two of those three things. I'm trying to keep living, and all these symptoms are getting worse. Fast forward to 21, I went to college, did Body Groove , I had our huge success, I was on Top Of The Pops are living their dream. Life should have been beautiful.

Lowe admitted to podcaster Matt Haycox that he considered ending his life because the pressure in his head and his tinnitus (ringing in the ears) were unbearable. He said: “It's the same kind of thinking they have when they go to Dignitas. They're not suicidal, they're pragmatic. If my health deteriorates, I can always kill myself. But I like the life.”

In 2008, when he was 33, he discovered meditation and deep breathing techniques. He revealed: “So I did loads of meditation and in about three weeks the pressure on my head just went away. It was crazy.

“It was a condition that I thought I would have to live with, that I would have to treat myself. And the good thing about that, what helped me get through the pain, was the power, and if I can do it, anyone can do it. And that's what becoming a mentor did for me.

Lowe released Body Groove in 2000 as part of Architechs with his brother Ashley Akabah. Ashley died alone in his apartment in 2020, just before the COVID pandemic hit.

Lowe is among the final five contestants on The Apprentice 2024 who will experience the grueling interview process with Littner, Baroness Karren Brady, Mike Soutar and Linda Plant in the show's semi-final.

He joins recruitment consultant Flo Edwards, dentist Dr Paul Midha, pie company owner Phil Turner and fitness studio owner Boutique Rachel Woolford. Three of them will be dismissed, then only two will compete in the final, helped by the former candidates of this year's competition. The winner will win a £250,000 investment from Lord Sugar in their business proposal.

The Apprentice continues with the semi-final, interview week, on BBC One at 9pm on Thursday April 11.

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