A Gogglebox star has confirmed a health diagnosis after concerned fans became worried about her appearance.
Sue Sheehan, one of the favourite members of the Channel 4 TV show's cast, has opened up following weeks of questions as the series returned to our screens.
She had been noticeably missing from the show but made an appearance on Friday's (13 December) instalment.
Sue, who also appears alongside her husband Steve on Gogglebox, shared what was going on with her during the episode and explained how life has changed for her.
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According to the cast member, she had been suffering from Bell’s palsy, which causes temporary paralysis or weakness on one side of the face.
This is something that Tulisa Contostavlos had been suffering with and also Helen Flanagan's daughter, Matilda.
According to the NHS, the condition causes muscle weakness which can lead to a drooping eyelid or corner of your mouth, drooling, a dry mouth, loss of taste, and a dry or watering eye.
Thankfully, steroid treatment can help a person get back to normal within six months.
Speaking to the viewers when she returned to Gogglebox, Sue explained how she’s had to relearn to do basic things, saying: "I mean, I've had to relearn to do a couple of things since this Bell's palsy.
"One is to speak through the side of my mouth, and the other one is chewing. Chewing takes a long time."
That’s when hubby Steve chimed in: "I have offered to chew your food for you, but you declined."
Sue responded: "No, it's sharper than ever actually."
Her candidness about what she’s been going through was met with a wave of support from fans on social media.
One person wrote: "Best wishes to Sue on Gogglebox as she recovers from Bell's palsy x."
Another added: "Fair play to Sue for appearing with Bell's palsy. Raising awareness can only be good."
A third commented: "Poor Sue. Hope her Bell's palsy clears up soon."
N-Dubz star Tulisa has opened up about her secret health struggle after discovering that it was the cause of the 'horrific' issues that she had been battling for the last 12 years.
Speaking on the So Wrong, It's Right podcast hosted by former Love Island star Olivia Attwood, she said she’d seen multiple doctors after feeling like her 'cheek was on fire' and that ants were crawling across her face.
That’s when she was diagnosed with Bell's palsy in 2020.
But even after the diagnosis, she continued to have health issues that caused swelling in her face, and she shared that it made her self-conscious about her appearance.
That caused her to stay inside of the house for seven months.
"I've never gone into it before, to be fair, I hadn't had any surgery up until, confession, recently," she said.
"And all the time before, there was no surgery - it was only fillers, and other issues that I had.
"When I was about 24, I had my first Bell's palsy attack, I was sat at home and I had this massive burst inflammation."
After her recent appearance on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! Tulisa managed to raise additional awareness for the condition.
Britt Jones