Dancing on Ice judge Louie Spence has revealed that he suffers from panic attacks.

The Pineapple Dance Studios star confessed that he has been so badly affected that he has sometimes refused to leave his house for periods of six weeks at a time.

He is quoted as telling the Daily Mirror: "When I was in my early 20s, my panic attacks got so bad that I couldn't go out.

"I was turning down work, I actually stayed in for about six weeks, just the thought of everyone staring at me was too much.

"Nothing has fixed it, I still get it, but I've had to learn to try to live with it."

He continued: "This year I've been to the heart doctor twice. Last year, I went twice, too, even though I'd had every test under the sun.

"I was worried about palpitations and even after I'd been checked I'd go back to have the test a second time, even though a top specialist had reassured me there was nothing wrong."

Louie added: "When I'm at home alone just watching TV I start to hear my heart beating, I'll begin counting to see how fast it's going, then I start breathing heavily and thinking, `Oh, God, something's wrong'.

"For me, it's part of who I am, you can go for therapy or treatment but I've just had to learn to get by with it."

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