Mike Amess has a rare phobia, he is clinically petrified of the Kardashian family. So petrified is he of Kim Kardashian and her elk he breaks out into a cold sweat and uninduced vomit at the sight of a semi naked Kim Kardashian.
Tells the 24 year old from Exeter: ‘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, who is gay, says his fear of the Kardashians started when he watched Kim’s now notorious sex tape at the age of seventeen.
‘I was raised Catholic and growing up, I tried to repress my sexuality and deny that I was gay.
‘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.
‘I have come to terms with my homosexuality now but my dread towards her has never left.’
Mike says that his phobia has got worse since Kim’s fame skyrocketed and his fear now extends to the whole Kardashian family.
He explains, ‘Kim and her sisters look and sound so similar – they’re a mess. They make my stomach churn, I hate it.
‘I dislike everything about them, especially their physical appearance. I don’t understand how anyone could find them attractive.
‘I can’t stand their voices either. They’re so whiny and shrill – it really gets under my skin.’
The Kardashians’ prominence in the media means that Mike’s phobia blights his everyday life.
And how bad is the problem?
‘It’s impossible to get away from Kim, let alone her whole family. Every website or magazine you read has them plastered all over.
‘I really enjoy reading the news but if I see Kim on the cover of a newspaper or a big picture of her across a website, I won’t go near it.
‘It makes life really difficult. Sometimes, I miss out on a lot of important news or celebrity gossip because I have to avoid anything which features the Kardashians.’
Mike’s most recent ordeal saw him throw up after accidentally seeing Kanye West’s racy music video, ‘Bound 2’, which features a topless Kim straddling the singer on a motorbike.’
Reiterating: ‘One day, I was lazing about on the sofa in front of the TV. I was skipping through music channels and that video came on.
‘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.
‘Before I knew it, I was sweating like a pig and throwing up. When I hear ‘Bound 2′ on the radio now, I have to switch the station immediately.’
Mike’s fear of the Kardashians has also had disastrous effects on his love life and he was forced to break up with a former boyfriend because of it.
Contemplates Mike Amess: ‘A lot of the gay community love the Kardashians so it makes dating tough sometimes. I’ve been romantically involved with several people who like them and each one of these relationships have ended badly.
‘My last boyfriend watched all of their shows and kept up with the celeb gossip surrounding them. He thought the Kardashians were fascinating.
‘At first, he found my fear funny and kind of cute. But over time, he wanted to talk about the Kardashians with me and of course, that’s not something I was really up for doing.
‘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.’
Despite the daily afflictions of his phobia, Mike has never sought medical help as he is embarrassed of his condition.
Explaining: ‘I don’t know how I could face a doctor about it. I can just see them laughing in my face the minute I told them about my fear of the Kardashians. It would be totally mortifying.’
Mike often goes to extreme lengths to avoid the Kardashians and relies on the support of his friends. How extreme you wonder?
Tells Mike: ‘I have to get my friends to go through a newspaper or magazine before I read it and rip out any pages which contain pictures of the Kardashians.’
Despite his legitimate fears and inertia, Mike says he is constantly mocked by friends who think his phobia is amusing.
Explaining: ‘Although my mates are supportive, they always make fun of my fear and play practical jokes on me.
‘Once, my friend put a picture of Kim Kardashian on his bathroom door so I couldn’t go to the loo all night. It was unbearable!
‘Another time, one of my mates got drunk at a party and chased after me with a photo of Kim’s ‘Belfie’ on his mobile phone.
‘They find it hilarious but they don’t realise how traumatic it is for me. I wish I wasn’t scared of the Kardashians.’
