I'm A Celebrity's Tulisa has opened up about a rare health condition that 'kept her hiding in her house for months'. It sparked a "vicious cycle" until a doctor was able to find the real problem.
The N-Dubz star, whose full name is Tulisa Contostavlos, spoke openly about her diagnosis during a Loose Women segment in 2020. The 36-year-old, who would have been aged 32 at the time, said the condition "completely altered her face".
More recently, she discussed the condition with former I'm A Celebrity campmate Olivia Atwood on her 'So Wrong, It's Right' podcast. Tulisa, who will also brave the Australian jungle when the ITV series returns for its 2024 series this week, said: "I was sat at home [when I had my first Bell's Palsy attack] and I had this huge burst of inflammation on my cheek, as if I had an abscess in there or something.
"I went straight to a doctor, they gave me antibiotics, steroid injections so it went down and I was left with some mild swelling. But then my whole face just dropped and my face remained like that for seven months."
The singer, who mentored pop group Little Mix during their time on The X Factor, said she "just hid in the house". But, after months she said her face "was still not right" - leading to her decision to have fillers to "try and balance it out".
She said that the condition flared up years later with "tingling sensations like little ants crawling in [her] face." She opened up about seeing doctors around the UK, asking: "What's wrong with my face?"
Eventually, a surgeon found three cysts "swelling up with infection" around her cheek during an exploratory operation. She added: "I do suffer from Bell's Palsy... The first time was after a serious horse riding accident and it caused nerve damage."
What is Bell's Palsy?
According to the NHS, the neurological disorder causes "temporary weakness or lack of movement". It often affects just one side of the face, but in rare cases, it can be noticeable on both sides.
It is not known exactly what causes Bell's palsy. However, links have been made to viral illnesses. The condition, which is thought to affect 1 in 70 people, is characterised by a few key symptoms, such as:
- a dry mouth
- a drooping eyelid or corner of your mouth
- drooling
- a dry or watering eye
- loss of taste
Image:
Getty)Most people recover from the condition with help from steroid treatment. However, they may also need to take eye drops and ointment to prevent the affected eye from drying out, which can lead to separate issues.
For the majority of people, Bell's Palsy leaves no lasting damage after treatment and only occurs once in their life. In rare cases, it can return - but experts found this only happens in around 5% to 10% of people who've already had it.
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