Miranda Hart's illness explained as she tearfully reflects on Celebrity Traitors

Miranda Hart described how the debilitating condition that left her 'basically bedbound' has impacted her life on Celebrity Traitors.

Emotions were running high among the stars of the series amid Joe Lycett's exit on Friday (16 October) and the comedian couldn't help but tear up as she bid her pal farewell.

She gushed about the 'connection, laughter and joy' they shared on the hit BBC show, while explaining that her health issues had previously prevented her from enjoying this side of life.

Hart, 53, has previously opened up about the toll that living with Lyme disease for decades has taken on her.

The Devon-born star believes that she contracted the bacterial infection when she was just 14-years-old while she was in the US state of Virginia.

Hart and Lycett formed a close bond during their time on Celebrity Traitors (BBC)

The NHS explains that Lyme disease is spread to humans by infected ticks and symptoms - such as tiredness, aches and loss of energy - can 'last for years' for some sufferers.

"It's not clear why this happens to some people and not others," it adds. "This means there's also no agreed treatment."

Hart, famed for her hilarious sitcom Miranda, was subsequently diagnosed with Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) which is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

The main symptom of this long-term condition is extreme tiredness, which can make simple tasks feel exhausting. Sleep issues, brain fog and flu-like symptoms are also prevalent.

In her 2024 book titled I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You, Hart explained she began experiencing 'unnerving neurological symptoms' as a teen, which 'got considerably worse' when she turned 40.

"As did the fatigue from the cell depletion," she wrote. "Yup, all delightful."

Why Hart took a hiatus from TV

Her illness forced her to step away from the spotlight, so she was 'very excited' to return to TV after enduring a 'tough few years'.

"Once you’ve been bed and housebound with a fatigue-based chronic illness that takes a long time to be diagnosed - which sadly I know a lot of people will know - you miss life a lot," Hart told the BBC in 2024.

"Unless you’ve had fatigue [like that], you don’t understand what literally not getting off the floor is.

"There’d be times where I'd look at a glass of water, and think, I don’t know how to pick that up.

"All anyone wants is to be heard, accepted, loved and seen... and when you’re not - particularly in a medical situation - it’s the worst."

The comedian has discussed what living with a chronic illness is like while on the show (BBC)

The Celebrity Traitors star, who is a Faithful, explained that this emotional impact of her decades-long ordeal is what made saying goodbye to fellow comedian Lycett so hard.

Upon his banishment, Hart said: "I can't believe how emotional I'm getting. Wow. Connection and laughter and joy are bigger than this game and to meet someone and just play and laugh - it's all us humans need.

"I've had times in my life when I haven't had that through illness and it's brought up that in a silly sensitive soul."

Her co-star James Acaster then offered her a hug, as Hart added: "I haven't played like that in so long. The floodgates just opened i guess, it suddenly wasn't about a silly Faithful or Traitor."

Before this series of Celebrity Traitors kicked off earlier this month, she explained that she was 'still living with elements of ME'.

The difficulties of living with an 'invisible' illness

"And that brings fatigue and pain to manage, but I have come to a point where I feel well enough to step out, and that’s also partly why I’m doing this," Hart said.

"The joy of mucking about on television again will hopefully outweigh some of the challenges. And I think it will be challenging on my body, so it’ll be interesting, and it’ll take some courage as this is a big next step.

"When you live with a chronic illness, it’s invisible, so people don’t know that you’re sitting there in pain.

"But then it reminds you that everybody’s got their thing. So I’m also really looking forward to making friends and looking after each other and hopefully they can carry me up a hill or whatever we’re going to have to do!"

She also recalled how she 'wanted to jump about like a schoolgirl with joy' after joining the star-studded cast after taking a 'long' hiatus from TV.

The final of this year's Celebrity Traitors will air on 30 October at 8pm and is set to last a whopping 80 minutes.