'I've had to fight my whole life for who I am'

TOWIE's Junaid Ahmed has faced family heartbreak but he's focused on staying strong and “making a difference”

- MITYA UNDERWOOD

Junaid Ahmed has had a fun but feisty time since joining The Only Way Is Essex four years ago. But despite the onscreen dramas – and falling in love with his now live-in boyfriend Joe Blackman – it’s what happened to Junaid before he signed up to join the Essex cast that weighs on him most heavily.

After coming out to his parents at 18, Junaid was essentially banished from his family home in Peterborough. Shortly after leaving home and heading for Essex, he lost his older brother and “best friend” in a drowning accident – and has had no contact with his parents or three younger siblings since then.

As series 35 of the ITV2 reality show wraps, we catch up with Junaid, 30, to hear why he’s decided to address some unresolved traumas, and help others like him in the process...

Hi, Junaid. You had quite the ride on TOWIE. Do you think you’re ever misunderstood?

Well, I’m sassy, argumentative and I can hold my own! But it’s all a sort of mask to cover what’s really going on. I’ve had to fight my whole life for who I am, and my coping mechanism has been to fight back, fight back, fight back. But that’s going now, because I’m happy with who I am. I’ve found my happiness and I’m not insecure like I used to be. I think there’s a reason behind all the madness.

Why do you want to open up about life before TOWIE?