Inside I’m A Celeb’s star Tulisa’s 12 year health battle that could rule her out of trials
FORMER X Factor judge and singer Tulisa has opened up about her decade-long health battle – which may prevent her from doing any brutal I’m A Celeb trials.
Pop star Tulisa Contostavlos, 36, who is heading for the Australian jungle, was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 2020 and this could vastly affect her time in the Outback.
The MOBO Award-winner, who is set to appear on this year’s star-studded I’m A Celebrity, could be medically ruled out due to her health woes.
A show source previously said about the trials: “The duty of care on I’m A Celeb is second to none and over the years the cast have been ruled out of challenges for a string of different reasons.”
Earlier this year, she was diagnosed with having ‘three chronically infected’ cysts in her cheek and felt as though there were ‘ants crawling’ across her face.
She says she resorted to facial fillers in order to try and ‘balance out’ her face, but the swelling kept returning.
The brunette beauty told Olivia Attwood on her podcast So Wrong It’s Right: “I’ve no idea what they were caused by, they weren’t filler, they were just self-occurring, but I came out of the operation and instantly my face was less swollen.
“There’s some still there so I still have the inflammation but it’s way less. In the next two months [the doctor’s] going to go in to get those ones.”
Speaking about the N-Dubz reunion in 2022, she said: “I would have like tingling sensations like little ants crawling in my face.
“I started seeing doctors all around the UK – ‘Something’s wrong with me, what’s wrong with my face’ – it was so scary. This went all the way up until this year it was horrific.
“I constantly felt like my cheek was on fire. I’d have good days and bad days and on some days, I’d take steroids, which would bring it down.
“When I was doing that N-Dubz run it was at its worst, so you might see an interview, I look normal. And then you see another interview, it’s like, what the hell is going on with my face?
“And I’ve had all these health problems for years – sarcoidosis, immune disorders – and this explains all the symptoms that I was getting and could have been causing Bell’s palsy because in total there was, I think, six of them.
“They could have been growing over the years, actually triggering the Bell’s.”
She added: “Right now, I only have filler in my lips. There’s no filler anywhere else in my face and I’ve never spoken about this publicly as I only discovered what was really going on this year.”
The Camden-born star, then 22, appeared on the judges’ desk on The X Factor in 2011 and 2012 alongside Kelly Rowland, Gary Barlow, Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell.
What is Bell's Palsy?
Bell’s palsy is the most common cause of facial paralysis, but is still rare, affecting one in about 5,000 people a year.
The condition causes temporary muscle weakness or paralysis in one side of the face, and occurs when the nerve that controls facial muscles becomes inflamed or compressed.
While it is not known what causes this inflammation, it is thought that herpes or another virus, such as syphilis or Epstein-Barr, could also be responsible.
People with diabetes and HIV are thought to be at higher risk of developing Bell’s palsy.
The symptoms of the condition vary from person to person, but develop quickly and reach their peak within 48 hours.
According to the NHS, these are the key warning signs:
- Difficulty closing your eyelid one side of your face, or your mouth drooping on that side
- Irritation of one eye, such as dryness or increased tear production
- Earache or pain underneath the ear on the affected side of the face
- A change to your sense of taste
- Increased sensitivity to sound in one ear
- Drooling from your mouth on one side
- A dry mouth
- Pain around the jaw
- A headache
- Ringing in one or both ears
- Dizziness
- Difficulty eating or drinking
- Impaired speech
The popstar is making a triumphant TV comeback after shunning TV shows for many years.
Known for being a member of the rapping trio, Tulisa became a household name back in 2011 when she signed on to replace Cheryl on The X Factor.
A source said about her long-awaited return: “Tulisa has been on ITV’s hit list for a while but until now she’s never wanted to consider it.
“This year is a decade since she left The X Factor so she felt the time was right to return to the TV spotlight.
“The amazing reception to the N-Dubz reunion tour really helped build her confidence.”
The Sun revealed wag Coleen Rooney will be bunking down with critters in Australia after securing the biggest deal in I’m A Celeb history.
The mum-of-four has bagged an eye-watering deal worth over £1.5million to head into the camp.
The 38-year-old’s fee is understood to be way beyond Nigel Farage’s pay packet last year.
And she has an incredible list of stars joining her in the jungle, from McFly star Danny Jones to Love Island royalty, Maura Higgins.
Tulisa's health battle
The I'm A Celeb star's symptoms explained
Sarcoidosis
A rare disease that causes the immune system to overreact, forming lumps called granulomas in various organs.
Symptoms can include shortness of breath, a persistent cough, tender bumps on the skin, fatigue, fever, and swollen lymph nodes.
Bell’s palsy
A neurological disorder that causes temporary facial paralysis or weakness on one side of the face.
It occurs when the facial nerve, also known as the seventh cranial nerve, is damaged or stops working properly.
As well as changes to one side of the face, other symptoms include:
- A drooping eyelid or corner of the mouth
- Drooling
- Dry mouth
- Loss of taste
- Dry or watering eyes
- Difficulty closing one eye