Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson has revealed she has had a stoma bag fitted after months of health problems.
The reality TV star shared a short video on social media, introducing her 1.4 million followers on Instagram to “the grey bag that may well have saved my life”.
Thompson said the news was “not exactly a glamorous announcement but not something I want to have to keep hidden forever”.
The 34-year-old started her post by writing: “HOW DO I DISCLOSE THIS SORT OF NEWS?”
She then went on to say: “It’s not exactly exciting like a big pregnancy or gender reveal announcement!
“Hey look i’m having a boy… Hey look i’ve got a stoma! “So I guess i’ll just stand here “Proud in stature “With my new friend “Le bum bag “that represents life “And hopefully a better one.”
Thompson suffers from ulcerative colitis, a chronic bowel condition leading to parts of the gut becoming swollen, inflamed, and ulcerated.
The condition can sometimes be treated with medication, but if this is not effective at controlling symptoms or quality of life is significantly affected, surgery to remove some or all of the bowel (colon) is offered as an option, the NHS says.
During surgery, the small intestine can be diverted out of an opening in the abdomen known as a stoma.
She went on to say in her latest post: “Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health!
“I say good riddance to that nasty menacing colon!”
The star finished by asking followers to “be kind”.
Thompson appeared in Made In Chelsea’s first series in 2011, progressing to become one of the E4 show’s main characters.
Her partner Ryan Libbey joined the cast in 2016 during filming in the south of France, and the couple got engaged in 2018. Their son Leo was born in 2021, but Thompson suffered PTSD in the aftermath after becoming seriously ill during his birth.
Sharing her video, Libbey said: “This breaks my heart, whilst filling it with love. This woman is so much tougher than I am – what an inspiration.”
Her brother Sam Thompson, a TV presenter who also appeared in Made In Chelsea, also shared the clip, writing: “My sister, ladies and gentleman. My hero always.”
Celebrities including Love Island star Montana Brown, former Made In Chelsea star Ashley James, and TV presenter Stacey Dooley were among the tens of thousands of Instagram users responding with messages of support.
“Le bum bag will inspire so many others,” wrote James. “Sending you love.”
RuPaul’s Drag Race star The Vivienne was remembered at a vigil in their home city of Liverpool on Sunday night.
James Lee Williams, originally from Colwyn Bay in North Wales, died on 5 January aged 32.
Hundreds of fans and friends of The Vivienne gathered at Liverpool‘s St George’s Hall.
Buildings across the city were lit up in green to commemorate the drag queen and their role as the Wicked Witch of the West in the Wizard Of Oz musical.
Fellow drag queen Danny Beard said the vigil was “a celebration of someone who touched the lives of so many”.
“The Vivienne was one of the world’s most recognisable drag queens, a proper world class entertainer,” they added.
“And above all a shining beacon in all of our lives and especially for the LGBT community.”
Since The Vivienne first rose to prominence in 2019, they appeared on a number of TV programmes, including Blankety Blank over the Christmas period.
The first episode in the series of Dancing On Ice on Sunday night also featured a tribute to The Vivienne, who competed on the 2023 series.
Presenter Holly Willoughby said many would have been “saddened by the tragic news”.
“They were a huge part of our show, making it all the way to the final in 2023,” she added.
“They will be very sorely missed and our thoughts are with The Vivienne’s loved ones at this time. So sad.”
In a tribute released after Mr Williams’s death, a Dancing On Ice spokesperson said they were “deeply saddened” by the news.
They said Mr Williams had made “TV history through their groundbreaking and spellbinding skating partnership”, becoming the first drag act to reach the Dancing On Ice final.
In an interview withThe Sun, his first since he underwent the lifesaving surgery, the 36-year-old described the moment when he thought he would die.
He said: “If I could go from being absolutely on top of the world to being told ‘the bottom part of your heart isn’t working’, I kept thinking in my head, ‘Well, what if the top half stops working overnight?'”
“That first night I wrote a will, I thought I was going to die,” the 36-year-old musician added.
On the night of 13 December, George said his heart rate and blood pressure dropped, “I felt like I was dying,” he said.
He had a pacemaker fitted by doctors during the surgery, but the former Strictly Come Dancing star said he made a will on his phone fearing the worst.
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Before the surgery, George said his thoughts turned to his partner, British actress Maisie Smith, and his family who he feared he’d leave behind.
He shared updates on social media throughout the process.
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Tom Parker, who also rose to fame in the 2010s with the boy band along with George, died at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour.
Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has announced she is pregnant with twins.
The singer, 33, said she was “eating for three now” on her Instagram alongside a polaroid picture of her with Zion Foster, with whom she was reported to have split up last year.
Nelson shared the touching post on Sunday, letting the world know she is set to become a mum for the first time – including two baby emojis next to her message.
The cosy picture shows the pair smiling in a kitchen.
Nelson rose to fame with the girl band Little Mix, which formed on The X Factor in 2011 and earned a string of UK number-one singles.
However, she left in December 2020 after nine years, saying the pressures of being in the group had taken a toll on her mental health.
Nelson has since performed as a solo artist but still had praise for her former bandmates, telling The Graham Norton Show in 2021: “To me they are still the sickest girl band in the world.”
Little Mix continued as a trio after Nelson’s departure in December 2020 before going on hiatus in 2022.