Corrie star addresses hospital dash as she confirms underlying health issue
The actress, 42, who played Katy Harris in the ITV soap between 2002 and 2005, took to Instagram to update her followers on a hospital dash that took place two years ago.
'Not my usual post,' she began, 'But with it being National Blood Week I wanted to share something with you.'
'2 years ago I was rushed into A&E, I was constantly exhausted, running on empty, struggling to breath, low mood, really struggling in my overall mental and physical health, and I just put it down to the fast pace of 'life'.
'Because in today's world you're expected to be able to juggle it all right? And the daily stresses of being a working mum, and spinning a million plates is blumming stressful… but what I didn't realise is that the reason I was feeling all of this is because I had an underlying health issue… chronic anaemia.'
The Wild at Heart star continued: 'Which meant I was in desperate need of a blood transfusion (hence why I got rushed to hospital).
'It turned out that my haemoglobin levels were that dangerously low I needed 2 transfusions and I was kept in hospital for a few days so they could keep on eye on my levels.' https://www.instagram.com/p/DKufHOtsXGi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
She went on to thank staff at Salford Royal Hospital in Greater Manchester, saying she felt she was 'in the best hands' with an 'unbelievable' doctor in the emergency department.
Lucy-Jo then stressed the importance of being a blood donor.
'So I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to each and every one of you who donate blood! What you do is truly amazing' she added.
'I know from the NHS that just one of your donations can save up to 3 lives…. Mine included.
'Blood donations save lives every day, they are needed in emergencies, during operations, childbirth, in the treatment of cancer and sickle cell disease, the list is endless
'So this is a thankyou to those selflessly giving blood that helped me and thousands of other people who really needed it. And did you know that almost 1 million new donors are needed by 2027 to give blood? The stats are crazy right?'
Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale?
Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews.
Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers!
Earlier this year the actress was reunited with her former Hollyoaks on-screen son Owen Warner as they filmed a new project – a short film he's penned called Goodbai. More Trending
The two played mother and son Donna-Marie Quinn and Romeo Nightingale in the Channel 4 soap, first arriving in 2018.
Lucy-Jo left the show in September 2023, when the character decided to depart the village for rehab, fearing that her addiction issues would destroy her relationship with her children.
View More »
Six months later, Owen made his exit – on horseback (yes, really) – after escaping prison on a murder charge.
If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we'd love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
MORE: ITV responds to claims that Coronation Street and Emmerdale will merge
MORE: TV soap star Chris Robinson dies aged 86
MORE: Coronation Street legends who played iconic duo reunite in new snap
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
29 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bindi Irwin: 'Genuinely healing' after 13 years of endometriosis pain
Australian conservationist and TV personality Bindi Irwin has said she is "genuinely healing" after suffering years of pain from endometriosis and called for greater understanding of the who first revealed her decade-long struggle with the disease in 2023, said in an update, she was "slowly gaining my strength back" and "beginning to recognise myself again".After feeling "utterly ashamed" when told her pain was "just part of being a woman", the 27-year-old said society needs to remove the stigma around women's story has reignited conversations worldwide about the condition which can cause severe pain and infertility, affecting about one in ten women. "Young girls and women shouldn't feel alone with pain in the driver's seat of their lives," she wrote in an Instagram post to her 5.7 million followers. "We need to take away the stigma of talking about women's health. It's time to have open discussions and make change on a global scale."Irwin's original 2023 Instagram post on her struggles with endometriosis got more than 1.1 million likes, with her latest update attracting about 260,000 is caused when tissue similar to the womb's lining grows in other parts of the body such as the ovaries and fallopian can cause extreme pain during periods, sexual intercourse and bowel movements, as well as pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, nausea and is no currently no known reason or cure for the condition. Irwin wrote that after "13 years of fighting for answers" and two surgeries where she had 51 lesions, a cyst and her appendix removed, she was finally on the mend."I can function in everyday life without wanting to throw up or pass out from the pain," she wrote."I felt utterly ashamed as a teenager and young adult being told that my pain was just part of being a woman. I felt lesser. I felt hurt. I felt weak. That is not ok."Irwin is the daughter of Steve Irwin, an Australian conservationist and TV documentary host who was best known as the "Crocodile Hunter" before he died in has since carved out her own path as a self-described wildlife warrior and runs Australia Zoo with her mum Terri and brother is married to Chandler Powell and gave birth to their daughter, Grace Warrior in Irwin died aged 44 after being stung by a stingray while filming on the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Queensland.
Scottish Sun
17 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Billie Faiers reveals lingering symptoms of Lyme Disease battle amid devastating moment that triggered dormant illness
See which other celebs are battling the horrible disease Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) BILLIE Faiers has opened up on her ongoing battle with Lyme disease and the moment that led to her latest flare up. The 35-year-old reality star described the disease as "horrendous" and spoke about how it can get so bed that she can't even get out of bed. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 Billie Faiers opened up on her ongoing battle with Lyme disease Credit: Instagram 4 The TV star think it was triggered by a stressful life event Credit: Instagram 4 Billie and hubby Greg Shepherd are parents to three children Credit: Instagram Lyme disease is a bacterial infection carried by ticks which spreads when they bite humans. There are around 3,000 cases in England and Wales every year. It can cause flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headache, swollen joints and a fever, which can last for a few weeks. The former Towie star opened up on how she still suffers from symptoms such as brain fog, tiredness and sporadic aches and pains. 'Some mornings I couldn't even get out of bed. I would have to crawl, going to the toilet, I was in bits, I was hysterical, crying, because I was in so much pain,' Billie told The Mirror. 'It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without [husband] Greg helping me. It was so scary. ''I had so many blood tests but no one could figure it out. One doctor said she'd never seen anything like it. It was frustrating. This went on for about two months before we learnt it was Lyme.' Doctors searched for weeks as to what could be wrong with Billie and eventually diagnosed her with Lyme disease, saying she was liklely bitten by an infected tick as many as three years ago. The first symptom of the illness tends to be a red, bulls-eye ring around the bite. But people bitten by bacteria-laden ticks can be struck with debilitating symptoms days or months afterwards. Billie Faiers mum-shamed for 'flaunting her wealth' as she throws extravagant festival-themed party for Nellie's 11th birthday Billie struggle so much after her diagnosis, that not even the antibiotics she was prescribed helped her. 'I was so unwell. It was only after [sister] Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around,' she told the publication. The TV star also wondered if the dormant condition was triggered by a string of stressful events, including rushing daughter, Margot, two, to hospital after she had a seizure. "That whole situation was really, really scary," Billie said. "As a parent, you never think it's going to happen to you. You wouldn't even want to imagine it. I was petrified." Billie added: "Margot hasn't had a seizure since, and that was back in January. So I'm praying she's grown out of them. "As any parent who's experienced their child having a febrile seizure will tell you, you're on edge a lot of the time. It's made me realise how much stress can affect your body." She continued: "I think I was holding in a lot of worry and anxiety about the kids and not knowing at the time what was wrong with me. I think it all led to a massive immune system crash." A number of celebs have spoken out about suffering from the disease - from Bella Hadid and her mum Yolanda, to Justin Bieber, Miranda Hart and Ben Stiller.
Metro
18 hours ago
- Metro
Self-care and wellness are worth trillions - but they are becoming toxic
As soon as I wake up at 7am, I start mentally listing what I'm grateful for and setting my intentions for the day. As soon as I wake up at 7am, I mentally run through three things I'm grateful for. This is often something small and immediate, like the fact the kids have slept in past 6am, a cuddle with my cat, or a project I'm excited about. Then, I set my intentions for the day. This might be a one word anchor, a single word that captures how I want to 'be' today, a reminder to approach a challenge with curiosity rather than stress, or a clear top priority I want to move forward. After that, I do some stretches before jumping in the shower. I don't allow myself to scroll my phone until at least half an hour after I've got up. I do this routine every single day. It's sustainable, flexible, takes minutes, and leaves me feeling calm and prepared for the day ahead. Or at least until the chaos of the school run starts! However, a quick scroll on social media will tell you that my routine is far from the norm. In fact, some of what I see feels quite extreme. Take US influencer Ashton Hall for example. He went viral in April for his five-hour long morning routine. His day, as shown, begins at 3:50am. He removes his mouth tape, does press-ups, journals, dunks his face in ice water (with lemon), has a steam, exercises, uses a banana skin for a some kind of facial and all before starting work at 9.30am. While a large number of reactions from his followers seemed pretty positive, with comments like 'obsessed' and 'loving this routine', I was exhausted just watching. It instantly set off alarm bells about the pressure this puts on people to match a completely unrealistic standard. Occasionally I saw comments along the lines of 'how do you have time for this' but negative comments like this were often shot down by other followers, indicating a pressure to conform and a creeping culture of toxic productivity. Ashton's routine is just a drop in the ocean. On Instagram, the hashtag #selfcare has 96.3million posts alone and #selfimprovement has 11million. That's hardly surprising when my whole feed seems endlessly exposed to a multitude of perfectly-lit videos extolling the virtues of (to name a few) light therapy, cold water exposure, meditation, journalling, oil pulling, tongue scraping, yoga and matcha lattes. But, let's be clear, self-improvement schedules that take three hours or more are not self-care – they're more like performances than genuine wellbeing. And the ferocity with which this industry is growing has left me with a gnawing concern. If we're not careful, we risk fostering a sense of inadequacy. A belief that, because our approach to taking care of ourselves is not as 'perfectly' curated as others, we are simply not good enough. This is the darker side to self-improvement culture, and it's one we must stamp out. While the concept of self-care isn't new, the way we talk about it today has changed dramatically. What began as a deeply human response has since become a $6.3trillion (approximately £4.5trillion) industry, as of the end of 2023 – with social media playing a central role. Wellness influencers portray curated, aesthetic routines as essential for happiness, creating a warped version of what 'good self-care' looks like. Who can forget the self-improvement trend that seemingly had a chokehold on everyone during the pandemic? How many were posting, and continue to post, about learning new languages, starting businesses, getting fit, and documenting their 'glow-ups' online? And how many people were made to feel bad because of their lack of self-improvement? As a psychologist, I'm no stranger to the value of personal development, it's a large part of my work and I help clients with everything from leadership mindset to what I call foundational self-care, including sleep habits. But when self-care becomes another item on the to-do list, another performance to perfect, or another standard to measure yourself against, it can spiral into toxic productivity. And what should be about mental health maintenance becomes another form of achievement culture. It's also important to remember that, while we may be constantly bombarded with images of other people's seemingly perfect lives – immaculate meal prep, serene meditation and gratitude journals – what we don't see are the outtakes, or the financial and time costs of maintaining these elaborate lifestyles. The reality is, real self-care is often boring, unglamorous, and completely unworthy of documentation. You feel guilty when resting or not 'doing something productive' You judge yourself harshly if you're not improving quickly or consistently You're overwhelmed by your own expectations, not inspired by them You view self-improvement as an obligation, not a choice Your self-talk is more inner critic than an inner coach You can't remember the last time you just enjoyed being yourself, without needing to change In fact, the most effective self-care practices are usually the simplest ones: regular sleep, gentle movement, connecting with others, and nourishing our bodies. After years of insomnia, I now have an evening routine that works: low lighting to help wind down, no screens for at least half an hour before sleep, a few minutes journaling, gentle breathwork, and the same bedtime each night (where possible). And of course I have my morning practice that sets me up for the day. But I'm definitely not in the 5am club – and there's nothing wrong with that. If you feel anxious when you can't complete your routine, spend more time planning and tracking your improvement than actually experiencing benefits from it, or find that your self-care practices are creating more stress than they relieve, it's a key warning sign that something has gone wrong. More Trending True self-improvement isn't about becoming a different person, it's about becoming more yourself, without the pressure to document every step of the journey or purchase your way to wellness. I think we all just need to remember that we're all a work in progress and we can, and will, continue to grow and develop throughout our lives. You don't need to get up at 5am to be productive, but if it works for you then great. You don't need to keep up with every trend or challenge that appears on social media, in order to look after yourself. You just need to pay attention to your own individual needs and your foundational self-care: sleep, nutrition, movement and connection. View More » I'm not saying we need to abandon self-improvement entirely, but we do need to return it to its original purpose. And perhaps the most radical act of self-care we can all do is simply believing we are enough, exactly as we are, right now. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: My holiday breakfast buffet hack is controversial but it's a money saver MORE: I stuffed my bra before a Wizz Air flight — it saved me a fortune MORE: My family day out was ruined by hundreds of swearing hikers Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
