baby

"We nearly lost him." Andy Lee almost died from a life-threatening condition.

He may be one half of the comedy duo that has kept Australians laughing for years, but Andy Lee very nearly didn’t make it past his first year.

Speaking on 60 Minutes Australia, the 36-year-old’s parents revealed that Andy suffered from epiglottitis, landing him in intensive care.

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Epiglottitis is caused when the small cartilage ‘lid’, or epiglottis, that covers the windpipe swells and blocks the flow of air to the lungs.

“We nearly lost him when he was one…he had epiglottitis,” dad Michael revealed to reporter Liz Hayes.

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“He was in intensive care for a week.”

andy lee with parents
Andy's parents revealed he nearly didn't make it past his first birthday. Image via 60 Minutes Australia.

Andy's mum Margaret revealed just how close the family came to losing Andy.

"They did say, another hour and we would have lost him," she said.

The family said Andy was rushed straight to intensive care when they arrived at the hospital and their little boy had "tubes down his throat".

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andy lee as baby
Andy with his mum, Margaret, as a baby. Image via 60 Minutes Australia.

Margaret said it was the first time she'd ever seen her husband cry.

"On the way home from the hospital, he said, 'It was close, we nearly lost him'," Margaret said.

Of course, Andy wasn't going to let the opportunity to make fun of his dad pass him by, calling him a "wuss" after the touching revelation.

The close-knit family then burst into laughter.

Andy's girlfriend, Rebecca Harding, was also interviewed on the program, confessing that she thought the former CLEO Bachelor was a bit of a "sleazebag".

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Luckily, she was soon introduced to the 'real Andy'.

"He's a bit sweeter than I actually was picturing. He's a really sweet, kind, generous person," she said.

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