WHILE travelling solo, a Married At First Sight UK star was left with a collapsed lung and forced to fly home for Christmas following a scary incident.
Daniel McKee, who shot to fame on the hit E4 show in 2021, was brutally mugged in Mexico and left with a string of painful injuries.
Taking to social media this week, the 30-year-old star shared a slew of photos revealing his shock injuries and revealed how the mugging led to him having to fly back home to Northern Ireland.
Taking to Instagram, Daniel revealed: “I got mugged in Mexico,” alongside a snap of himself holding a cup of tea with his shirt off.
The next photo saw the TV star on holiday while holding a beer.
“They didn’t manage to take anything because I fought back… which in hindsight you should NEVER EVER do as I got hurt… they did however redirect my winter travels for a few weeks which I’m not mad about,” he penned over the top of the snap.
The next slide was of a photo of Daniel with his family, with text which read: “Because I get to hang out with this lovely lot over Christmas.”
In the next slide, Daniel revealed the extent of his injuries from the mugging.
“I have a wee tear in my lung, a small pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and some very sore ribs,” he penned alongside an X-ray of his lungs.
The next photo was of his knee, which had a huge gash out of it.
Daniel went on to explain how it hurts “so bad” when he laughs.
Concluding his seven slides, Daniel said: “But I am grand. Merry Christmas.”
In the caption of the post, Daniel went into more detail, writing: “Before you romanticise solo travel, read this.
“Solo travel isn’t always beach beers, sunsets, and slow mornings by the sea.
“Sometimes it’s uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s challenging. And yes, sometimes it can feel unsafe. I think it’s only fair to share the full picture, not just the moments that make it to the grid.”
He did add: “That said… 95% of the time, solo travel is deeply fulfilling, safe, joyful, and genuinely life-changing. The freedom. The confidence. The clarity. The joy.”
Daniel later added: “Usually, when things go sideways on the road, I keep going. But this time, something told me to go home.
“Maybe it was the timing, just before Christmas, the injured lung or maybe it was the pull of the McKee fam offering TLC… I think it was all three.
“So I booked the flight.
“Now I’m exactly where I need to be: dogs curled up beside me, a fire on, too much chocolate, Christmas films, and my family, back in my childhood home.
“Not the plan I had. But the one that feels right.”
Concluding his caption, Daniel penned: “I’ll be in Ireland for a couple of weeks, resting and resetting, before I shoulder the backpack again.
“Sometimes plans change. And that’s okay.
“And to the travel pals who showed up when I needed it, thank you. Good people exist everywhere. The solo travel community really is something special.”
When Daniel shot to fame on MAFS he made history alongside then-husband Matt Jameson as the became the show’s first gay couple.
The pair stayed together post-show but sadly split in late 2022.
