LOOSE Men viewers heaped praise on Jake Quickenden as he had his testicles examined live on air on a special edition of the show.

The ITV programme was taken over by an all-male panel on Friday, including Vernon Kay, Olly Murs, Larry Lamb and Ade Adepitan.

Jake, 34, stripped down in order to be examined live on air by Dr Amir in the all-male special of Loose Women, raising awareness for cancer.

The star has spoken openly in the past about losing his dad Paul and brother Oliver to cancer and the devastating impact it had on him, admitting he fears developing cancer "all the time".

He took to Loose Men to encourage men to get checked for testicular and prostate cancer to make sure "everything is alright".

The father-of-one said: "I lost my dad and brother to cancer, so for me not checking is a way of just putting it to the back of my mind.

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"Sometimes I thinkif I checked and I felt something I'd be so worried, so for me, it was out of sight, out of mind.

"But as I've got older, I've got kids now, it makes me think that is a stupid thing to do, we need to be talking more, we need to be checking more."

"I had my first check up six months ago, I'm 34, and that was a big step for me to even do, an MRI, everything checked and bloods checked, and I felt quite proud," Jake continued.

"The reason I'm doing this today, even if it helps one person – if this helps someone then that's all that matters really."

Standing in his white dressing gown, Jake was then given a check-up by the TV doctor Amir Khan – with cameras following along to allow those watching at home to learn.

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Fans flooded to social media to praise Jake for raising awareness – as well as admitting they were shocked to see the check on screen.

Dr Amir added: "Jake is incredibly brave for doing this on television."

One said: "Massive well done for doing this today! So important to be raising awareness and showing all men it isn’t embarrassing to check themselves it’s to potentially save lives."

A second chimed in: "Hats off to Jake Quickenden for getting his balls checked on Loose Men, good lad, will save lives."

While a third said: "Go on Jake! Brave lad," a fourth concluded: "Fair play to Jake for getting his baubles out on telly."

It comes after proud dad Jake credited his young son Leo with saving his life after he was plagued with "dark thoughts".

The TV star – who shares the one-year-old with wife Sophie – and is stepdad to her son Freddie, eight, said he suffered with his mental health before becoming a dad.

In an exclusive interview he said: "I think having a kid has made me realise life’s too short. You need to go out there and do what you gotta do.

"I think Leo saved my life in a way because I did used to have a lot of thoughts and a lot of worries.

"He gave me a purpose. I have an amazing wife and amazing stepson, but when you have your own child he gave me a purpose and my anxieties didn’t seem as bad then.

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"My thoughts weren’t as dark, and I just wanted to do everything for him. He gave me a reason and that’s how I look at things now.

"He really is that little bright spark. When I lost my dad and brother, I feel like I lost a part of me as well, but having him around now has given me that back. In a way he’s saved me."

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