EastEnders star says Christmas is cancelled after ‘worst year of her life’ and bleak diagnosis

The actress who played Lucy Beale on EastEnders has revealed this year has been the 'worst one of her life' as she battles with a hidden health condition this Christmas

An actress who rose to fame on EastEnders has revealed that this Christmas will be a difficult one for her after she was diagnosed with a life-changing disorder last year.

Melissa Suffield - who played Lucy Beale on the BBC soap from 2004 to 2010 - shared that it has been a tough year after being diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) when she experienced "horrible nausea" last December.

The 31-year-old told The Sun that, after around 40 appointments with her GP this year alone and spending more than five figures on tests and other medical costs, she has been given a diagnosis of SIBO and B12 deficiency.

Melissa went onto explain what Christmas this year means to her as she continues to battle with her health. She said: "For me, I would say about 80% of the joy comes from all the food. So I'm not feeling very festive this year. But that's mainly because I can't eat loads of chocolate, biscuits and cake. So you know it is what it is. But I'm hopeful that next year I'll be eating that Christmas dinner again."

However, despite her struggles, the TV star said that her deficiency has made her become the 'healthiest' version of herself.

She continued: "This is on paper, this year I've been healthier than I've been ever in my life before.

"The only thing I drink is water or water, with like ginger in it. I don't eat anything that I haven't like prepared fresh myself, really at home, unless I absolutely have to. While I'm out I can eat chips.

"But even myself, like even chips at home and make them myself. I get an okay amount of sleep. I've got loads of like vitamins and minerals that my body needs going in, and I've never been sicker in my life."

Melissa also confessed that she hasn't even had a "drop of alcohol" since her birthday last year, which was Christmas Eve. However, the mum of one - who is now a body confidence advocate trying to promote self-love and raise awareness of SIBO - acknowledged that while she may be "healthy on paper", in reality it's very different, describing it as "very bleak".