Kim Kardashian is one of the most sought after and photographed woman in the world, so imagine how difficult it must be to flick through TV channels or open a newspaper or magazine if you have a phobia of the famous reality star.
For 24-year-old Mike Amess from Exeter, this is not something he merely has to imagine, but something that is sadly part of his everyday life.
Speaking to The Mirror, Mike revealed: ‘Just hearing the sound of the Kardashians' nasal voices or catching a glimpse of them on screen makes me feel nauseous and shaky.’
‘My hands get clammy, my breathing gets heavier and I start sweating. Sometimes, I get teary and want to retch.’
Mike says his fear started when he first watched Kim’s infamous sex tape with musician Ray J.
‘I was raised Catholic and growing up, I tried to repress my sexuality and deny that I was gay,’ he explains. ‘Loads of the boys at school were going on about how good Kim Kardashian's sex tape was…. I thought I'd give it a watch in the hope it would turn me on.’
‘I downloaded the video and watched it secretly in my bedroom. But the sight of Kim writhing around with her huge bum and the sound of her horrible high-pitched wailing repulsed me.’
‘I really wanted to be aroused by her so I kept watching it but she made me feel more and more upset… By the end of the tape, I had burst into tears. The experience left me terrified and I never wanted to see Kim's face again.’
Since watching the sex tape, Mike has come to terms with his sexuality but his fear has spread to Kim Kardashian’s sisters, Khloe and Kourtney.
‘Kim and her sisters look and sound so similar. They make my stomach churn, I hate it,’ he says. ‘They're so whiny and shrill.’
Following the release of Kanye West’s video for Bound 2, which features Kim, Mike has felt his phobia intensify.
‘Seeing Kim naked, with her boobs bouncing about like that brought back memories of that horrendous sex tape. It was like reliving that incident all over again.’
Mike’s phobia has even affected his relationships.
‘My last boyfriend watched all of their shows and kept up with the celeb gossip surrounding them.’
‘We had a big argument once when he demanded to watch the latest episode of 'Keeping up with the Kardashians' whilst I was with him.'
'We had a blazing row in which he called my phobia immature and attention-seeking.’
‘I ended up storming out of his flat. In the end, it became difficult spending time with him and definitely played a role in our break-up.’
Mike is too embarrassed to see a doctor about his condition and has had to resort to asking friends to read magazines and newspapers before he can face looking at them for the fear of stumbling across the reality star.