Jake Quickenden has made an emotional plea to fans after revealing his one-year-old son Kit is in severe pain after being struck down with chickenpox.

The former The X Factor star, 37, took to Instagram on Thursday morning to ask for advice, admitting he feels helpless watching his little boy suffer. Jake and his wife Sophie welcomed Kit in January last year, four years after the birth of their eldest son Leo. Sophie also has an older son, Freddie, from a previous relationship.

Sharing a heartbreaking photo of Kit clutching one of his books while covered in painful spots, Jake confessed that nothing so far has brought lasting relief. He told followers he had tried oat baths, Poxclin mousse, Calpol and Piriton, but said his son was still “screaming” in pain.

Jake admitted it was “absolutely awful” seeing Kit so distressed, explaining that the only moment of calm came when he spent half an hour gently blowing cold air on him. “It was the only time he wasn’t screaming,” he said, before adding bluntly: “Chickenpox is the worst.”

The TV star, who regularly appears on shows such as This Morning, later told fans that Leo, four, had recently had chickenpox too, but his case was far milder. Kit’s symptoms, he said, were “three times as bad”.

In another emotional update shared to his Instagram Stories, Jake posted a photo of Kit lying down and admitted that if it were him, he would be “crying my eyes out”, adding that it was heartbreaking to imagine how uncomfortable his son must feel.

Fans and famous friends were quick to rally around. Former I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! winner Danny Miller sent his support, telling Jake he was sending “loads of love” and saying the situation looked “awful” for the whole family.

Other followers shared their own experiences, with one urging Jake to keep up oat baths and use cotton gloves at night to stop scratching, while another sympathised: “It’s absolutely awful to watch your child go through it.”