Fred Sirieix's fiancée Fruitcake reveals health diagnosis with shocking pictures

First Dates star Fred Sirieix's fiancee Fruitcake has revealed she has been forced to step away from social situations following a health diagnosis that left her unable to recognise herself

Fred Sirieix's fiancée has revealed she was left in "excruciating pain" amid her health diagnosis.

The First Dates host is engaged to Fruitcake, who has decided to keep her real name hidden. They went public with their relationship back in 2018 and have been going strong ever since. In recent weeks Fruitcake, who has a large social media following, has been forced to take a step away from public life following a health condition.

She decided to open up to her followers about her Bell's Palsy diagnosis after having "sudden, temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face". Fruitcake admitted she thought she was having a stroke and was rushed to A&E after sharing her symptoms on the NHS helpline.

Since receiving her diagnosis, Fruitcake has to manage "some ongoing issues" such as visual disturbances and aches in her ear and jaw. She has also been left struggling with not recognising herself in the mirror, which made her want to stay away from social situations. In a candid social media post, Fruitcake shared photos of her face swollen due to the condition.

She told her followers: "I’ve been away for the past couple of months due to a diagnosis of Bell’s Palsy. For those who may not know this condition causes sudden, temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. Initially, I experienced excruciating pain, facial distortion (check out my pics - last one is most recent), and discomfort in my ear and head, which was incredibly painful and challenging to manage.

"The symptoms of Bell's Palsy are similar to a stroke. And so when I called the NHS helpline, I was rushed to A&E by ambulance for immediate care. Now, I’m managing some ongoing issues like visual disturbances and aches in my ear and jaw. One of the toughest challenges has been not recognising my reflection in the mirror, which made me retreat from social situations.

"However, each day brings new blessings, and I’m starting to look more like myself again. Since my diagnosis, I’ve delved into researching the condition—something I hadn’t even heard of until now. Hearing the stories of others in similar situations has been incredibly inspiring."

Fruitcake continued: "I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude—my family and friends have been incredible throughout this journey. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to check on me; your support means the world! Thank you also to everyone at the NHS who looked after me. You guys are brilliant x I feel truly blessed that my recovery is progressing faster than I initially anticipated."

According to the NHS, Bell's palsy is temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects one side of the face. Symptoms include weakness on one side of your face, a drooping eyelid or corner of your mouth, drooling, a dry mouth, loss of taste and a dry or watering eye. If someone experiences symptoms of Bell's palsy, they must call 111.

Fred popped the question to Fruitcake in 2020 with their wedding plans forced to be put on hold due to the pandemic. The TV star opened up on their romance while on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! as he said: “The way I met Fruitcake, I met her in Peckham…I was walking up and she was smiling at me and I was smiling at her and I liked her eyes… I just had to talk to her. I asked for her number, I said: ‘Shall we go for a drink tonight?’ That was nine years ago.”

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