HGTV star Tarek El Moussa's cancer battles left him 'staring death in the face'
Real estate expert and HGTV star Tarek El Moussa faced the terrifying reality of battling not one but two different types of cancer in his early 30s.
The "Flipping 101" star opened up about his personal struggles with Fox News Digital during his life-altering health journey.
"Man, cancer is a scary word. And when you're facing cancer, you know there's always that potential of death," said El Moussa, now 43.
HGTV STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA’S LIFESTYLE HACKS SPARKED PLASTIC SURGERY RUMORS
"And when you're staring death in the face, it makes you really, really realize what life is about, what you should be grateful for."
For El Moussa, the most frightening part wasn’t just the cancer itself; it was the fear of not being there for his family, particularly his then-baby girl.
"The scariest part for me was not knowing if I was going to live or die, because at the time I was young, I had a family, I have my daughter, Taylor, and the scariest thing was not knowing if I would be around to raise my baby."
In 2013, he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer, which was discovered after a fan noticed a lump on his neck during one of his shows and suggested he see a doctor. Soon after, he was also diagnosed with testicular cancer.
"I wasn't only diagnosed with one cancer, it turned out in my early 30s I had two cancers," El Moussa told Fox News Digital.
The "Flip or Flop" star announced he was cancer-free in 2019.
"Fortunately, it's been 10 years. I'm in remission from both cancers, I'm thriving, the kids are thriving, and we made it," El Moussa told Fox News Digital.
WATCH: ‘FLIPPING 101’ STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA ON FITNESS JOURNEY, BEING 2-TIME CANCER SURVIVOR
El Moussa’s cancer battles did more than just save his life; they reshaped his perspective in profound ways.
"Through my experiences of being sick, it's given me this level of gratitude that I don't think I would have had if I didn't go through such awful experiences," he reflected.
While El Moussa was going through cancer treatments, his marriage to then-wife Christina Haack crumbled. The two announced their split in 2016.
The former couple were married for seven years before their divorce was finalized in 2018.
El Moussa and Haack co-parent their two children and star in "The Flip Off" with his current wife, Heather. The HGTV reality show premiered this year.
He and the "Selling Sunset" star tied the knot in 2024 and welcomed their baby boy, Tristan, in January 2023.
The reality star told Fox News Digital about the most awkward situation he’s experienced when it comes to hanging out with his wife and his ex.
"What's the most awkward situation?" he laughed. "Well, that would be filming a show with my wife and my ex-wife. I don't think it gets any more awkward than that."
WATCH: HGTV STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA ON THE MOST AWKWARD SITUATION WORKING WITH WIFE AND EX
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Fans have noticed that Heather and Haack look very similar, a fact that caused some issues for El Moussa. For example, he has mistakenly called his current wife by his ex-wife's name.
The real estate expert explained the moment to Fox News Digital.
"I don't know how many people out there have a wife and an ex-wife that might look similar, that they might have done shows with, that they may work together," El Moussa laughed.
"There was this one time I was sending a video and I did accidentally call my amazing, beautiful, adorable wife, Heather, Christina, on accident, and I did get in a little bit of trouble."
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In a social media video, Heather jokingly revealed that the couple's contractor, Bryan, referred to her as Christina. As Bryan laughed and denied it happened, El Moussa revealed, "I did that one time, and I'm lucky to be alive."
WATCH: HGTV STAR TAREK EL MOUSSA SHARES WHAT CHALLENGES STOOD OUT FROM THIS SEASON OF ‘FLIPPING 101’
"Anyone knows of good contractors… we might need a new one after this," El Moussa captioned the Instagram video.
After the season finale of their show, "The Flip Off," El Moussa has been focused on the new season of his solo series, "Flipping 101 with Tarek El Moussa."
On the show, El Moussa, who has more than 1,000 profitable sales under his belt, mentors real estate novices to help them learn the secrets to a successful flip and how to avoid costly mistakes.
The fourth season of "Flipping 101" is available on HGTV, Max and Discovery+.