Female bodybuilder Candice Armstrong is so obsessed with bulking up her body, she works out for six hours a day and splurges her benefits on anabolic steroids.
As a result she has developed masculine features, including excessive body hair and an enlarged clitoris. She also suffers from anger issues and has been warned by doctors that she's putting her heart at risk- yet she won't stop using them.
Speaking after Kerry Katona’s fiancé George Kay was hospitalised due to mixing a dangerous cocktail of steroids, sleeping tablets and alcohol, Candice says: “I admit steroids can make me short-tempered - I get wound up by little things. Steroids are turning me into a manbut I won't stop using them because I like the muscles."
The dangers associated with steroids became all too obvious when George was arrested a fortnight ago, after running between cars outside Kerry's in Chinnor, Oxon, shouting that someone was trying to kill him. The 34 year old was briefly detained under the mental health act and later admitted he'd been taking steroids and working out obsessively. He said doctors told him he had suffered the equivalent of three minor heart attacks. The drug has also been linked to strokes and high blood pressure.
"I've never suffered a serious outburst like George. It's worrying to hear what's happened to him, but it doesn't put me off," says Candice, who's 29 and from London. "I wouldn't mix steroids with sleeping pills or alcohol. Doctors have warned me I could be at risk of a heart attack, but it's worth the risk to look good. I use my benefits money to pay for my steroids - they're cheaper than cigarettes and alcohol. I don't feel bad, because I don't treat myself to anything else."
To read more of Candice's story, buy Closer magazine, out now. **