‘Severely unwell’ X Factor legend forced to pull out of festival performance after being rushed to hospital
X Factor legend Amelia Lily was forced to pull out of a festival performance today after being rushed to hospital last night.
The singer, who also starred in MTV’s Geordie Shore, shared a snap of herself on a ward hooked up to a drip and revealed she has been “severely unwell”.
Amelia, who is diabetic, sparked concern with the snap and told fans she was devastated to have to cancel her scheduled gig at Sunderland Food and Drink Festival.
Writing on social media last night, the 29 year-old said: “Hello everyone, after a really tough week of being severely unwell, I have never felt like this in my life.
“I have been admitted into hospital with an underlying infection. I am so sorry that I won’t be able to perform tomorrow evening.”
She continued: “I love performing and am absolutely gutted I can’t be there tomorrow but I know I’m in the best place.”
She then updated her fans last night, telling them fortunately she did not have Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a life-threatening condition where the body breaks down fat too fast and the blood becomes acidic.
And today, Amelia returned to social media to share that she finally had a diagnosis and fortunately had been discharged home to rest.
“I was discharged last last night and am back home,” she wrote on her instagram stories, explaining that she had to go back to hospital today for more blood tests but reassured her followers she was “on the mend.”
She then explained that she was suffering from a kidney infection caused by an untreated urinary tract infection.
“I felt pain in my lower back at the start of the week and tried for three days to get into my drs, but they were not taking any more appointments or econsults.”
As a result Amelia explained that she began vomiting and suffering from a migraine and fever.
“Being diabetic things get a little more complicated as you can imagine,” she added, revealing that she has had an ultrasound on her kidneys which told medics what was wrong.
She concluded the post by thanking her medical team who “looked after me and gave me the best care.”
Amelia shot to fame in 2011 on The X Factor and finished in third place.
She went onto appear in Celebrity Big Brother in 2017 and was in a romance with Sam Thompson on the show.
In 2020 she joined the cast of Geordie Shore but left after two series.
What is a UTI?
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are usually caused by E.coli bacteria – found in poo – entering the urinary tract.
The bacteria enter through the tube that carries pee out of the body (urethra).
Women are more likely than men to pick up UTIs as they have a shorter urethra than men.
This means bacteria are more likely to reach the bladder or kidneys and cause an infection.
According to the NHS, things that increase the risk of bacteria getting into the bladder include:
- Having sex
- Pregnancy
- Conditions that block the urinary tract – such as kidney stones
- conditions that make it difficult to fully empty the bladder – such as an enlarged prostate in men and constipation in children
- Urinary catheters (a tube in your bladder used to drain urine)
- Having a weakened immune system – for example, people with diabetes or people having chemotherapy
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not keeping the genital area clean and dry
Check if it’s a UTI
Symptoms of a urinary tract infection (UTI) may include:
- Pain or a burning sensation when peeing (dysuria)
- Needing to pee more often than usual
- Needing to pee more often than usual during the night (nocturia)
- Needing to pee suddenly or more urgently than usual
- Pee that looks cloudy
- Blood in your pee
- Lower tummy pain or pain in your back, just under the ribs
- A high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
- A very low temperature below 36C
Your pee may also be dark or smell. If this is your only symptom, it might be because you’ve not been drinking enough water.
What to do if you think you have a UTI
If you think you have UTI symptoms, you should speak to your GP to discuss treatment options.
Most people will need antibiotics.
Some people may be prescribed a ‘delayed antibiotic’, meaning they’ll be asked only to use it if their symptoms don’t go away after a certain amount of time.
If you keep getting UTIs, your GP might recommend you have a low dose of antibiotics over a long period of time or refer you to a specialist for more tests and treatments.
For women who have gone through menopause, there is evidence that vaginal oestrogen creams can reduce UTI symptoms.
Source: NHS