Drag queen says people thought he was lazy - but he had a brain tumour

Eddie Adams used to perform as a drag queen in Bedford and Brighton

A drag queen and photographer has said he struggled with severe fatigue before he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Eddie Adams, 35, from Bedford, suffered a seizure in 2017, and later a scan showed he had anaplastic astrocytoma. He was left with a misshapen skull after surgery.

• Listen: The drag queen with a hole in his head

"Everyone just thought I was very lazy," he said.

He is now preparing to front the Brain Tumour Research fundraising event Wear A Hat Day on 28 March.

Eddie Adams wants people to wear hats and fundraise for Brain Tumour Research on Wear A Hat Day

Mr Adams, who came third in a pilot audition for RuPaul's Drag Race in 2015, was in his 20s when he noticed he was gradually "becoming less and less".

"I was becoming more lacklustre. I just seemed to go downhill," he said. "I was almost bedridden most of the time. It was fatigue."

Mr Adams - whose drag persona is "Eddie OK Adams" - moved to Brighton to perform as an artist in a "make or break" career move.

But after he visited his doctor a few times, he had a seizure in his garden in August 2017, and a subsequent CT scan showed he had a brain tumour.

Due to having regular migraines, "I knew something was going on so when they said it was a brain tumour it wasn't a total surprise".

The brain-tumour ambassador enjoys photography, and had a studio in Bedford

He added: "Everyone just thought I was very lazy, so everyone's obviously eating their words."

Mr Adams had to "relearn and rewire my brain". That meant relearning to talk and do everyday tasks such as brushing his teeth.

After his first surgery, he said it felt like the pain in his body had been "alleviated".

"I remember saying to my dad, 'Wow! This is what it feels like to be just a normal person. I can't believe what I've been missing out on'."

Eddie Adams's self-portrait has been shared by Brain Tumour Research and featured on a London Underground poster campaign

But several weeks later, Mr Adams was rushed back to hospital with an infection, and that resulted in a large part of his skull being removed.

He was told in 2017 that he was likely to survive for only three to five years. He wanted to live his life as best he could, so he went to university in London for a year and set up a photography studio in Bedford.

If people look and stare at his head it does not bother him, as "20 years ago I was walking around the high street in high platform boots and miniskirts, so I'm used to people looking at me".

Having outlived his prognosis, his main goal now is to raise funds and awareness for Brain Tumour Research to help find a cure.

Eddie OK Adams loves to go for walks with his dog Binky

The charity's Charlie Allsebrook said: "Not only has he bravely shared his story far and wide to help us raise awareness of brain tumours and the need for greater investment in research but he has starred in hard-hitting campaigns like Stop The Devastation and raised more than £3,000 to support our vital research, inspiring friends and family to do the same.

"His resilience and determination to help others is truly inspiring and we remain grateful and in awe of his impassioned support."