EXCLUSIVE How Josie Gibson treated her medieval health condition with celebrity-adored holistic retreat after shock diagnosis

Daily Mail​

27-04-2025

Josie Gibson shocked fans when she revealed she had been diagnosed with a medieval health condition - but the scare was a motivator for the star.
The This Morning presenter, 40, revealed on Tuesday that she was suffering from gout after filming a travel show where she sampled first class air travel, living a life of luxury.
After filming Channel 5 travelogue Around The World In First Class, Josie went for a health MOT ahead of her next TV challenge The 1970s Diet, where she was told she had gout.
She told Bella magazine that she was 'embarrassed' when she received the shock diagnosis and thought only medieval royalty and old men were at risk of the condition.
But it inspired her to embark on a health kick for herself and her young son Reggie, and she is now feeling better than ever.
'I got a bit of a health scare while filming this show [The 1970s Diet] so it knocked me into submission a bit,' she said.
Josie said that her busy life as a travelling TV presenter saw her getting just four to five hours of sleep a night, but after prioritising getting the recommended eight or nine, she feels 'like a totally different human being'.
'I've said no to a lot of work for my own health benefits,' she said. 'I'm spending more time at home and I'm prioritising my son and my health.'
Amid her health kick, Josie headed to Andalucia, Spain, to spend time at The Body Camp's newly-launched retreat there.
Joining a group of other health-conscious reatreaters, Josie spent a week hiking, doing yoga, meditation and practicing mindfulness.
Her personalised diet whilst at the retreat included a virbant plant-forward menu whilst she started her day with dawn yoga sessions and sunrise hikes.
Sharing a clip from her week in the sun, Josie wrote: 'Beautiful time reconnecting with myself at the @thebodycampofficial a big thank you to @misskwhale @benwhalechef @rickparcellnow @sakura.marisa, they have just launched in Andalucia and the scenery is absolutely stunning.
'Big thank you to my lovely body camp group. What an uplifting inspirational group of people.
'One week of training, hikes, yoga, and eating the most gorgeous nutritious food, mindful coaching is just what I needed. What an Easter treat!'
Since launching in Ibiza in 2015, The Body Camp has run fitness and wellness experiences in Mallorca, Bali, Morocco and rural Somerset, with two new destinations for 2025l Thailand's Koh Samui and Andalucia.
Guests receive fitness training and coaching, personal development and NLP (neuro-linguistic programming), yoga, meditation, breath work, nutritional education and mindfulness in a bid to feel healthier.
The retreat Josie jetted to in Spain took place in a secluded rural hideaway, set in a serene Andalucian valley, offering 360 degree panoramic views of the captivating El Torcal mountains - perfect for dawn yoga and guided meditation.
There are miles of on-the-doorstep hiking and cycling terrain - including the famous Caminito Del Ray - as well as a vast outdoor swimming pool surrounded by lush landscaping and a shaded poolside training gym and circuits set up.
Gout, a type of arthritis that causes severe pain and swelling in the big toes, feet, wrists and ankles, affects an estimated 1.5million people in the UK. Cases are on the rise, with the number surging by about four per cent each year.
TV personality Josie said her toes had been hurting her throughout filming for Around The World In First Class, which is available on 5's streaming service and sees Josie take 12 first class flights and private jet trips and stay in rooms worth more than $20,000 per night in the likes of the Middle East and the Caribbean.
She said of her diagnosis: 'I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life.
'Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That's how I ended up getting gout.'
Josie had been enjoying the enviable lifestyle of drinking champagne and tucking in to rich food in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Blood tests gave the shock diagnosis, after spending weeks living in luxury.
Gout is often associated with wealthy historical figures, including Henry VIII and Benjamin Franklin, who were known to enjoy alcohol and red meats, both of which are high in purines which cause the illness.
More recently, actor Jared Leto was diagnosed with gout after rapidly gaining more than four stone (26kg) for the role of Mark David Chapman in the film Chapter 27 in 2007.
Comedians James Corden, 46, and Jack Whitehall, 36, are also among celebrities who have suffered with it in recent years.
Josie confirmed she is now gout free after returning to a less lavish diet.
'As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it levelled itself out,' she said.
The star has fluctuated between size eight and 22 over the years, but admitted she feels her best when she can fit into size 12-14 clothes.
Josie said that she would not consider taking weight-loss jabs, despite lots of her friends using them.
Josie told MailOnline in December that she wanted to get 'back in the gym so she can enjoy herself at Christmas' and said her recent weight loss had been down to being busy at work.
'I've said no to a lot of work for my own health benefits,' she said. 'I'm spending more time at home and I'm prioritising my son and my health'
The star (pictured, left, in August, and right in 2022) has fluctuated between size eight and 22 over the years, but admitted she feels her best when she can fit into size 12-14 clothes
Josie has said she's finally feeling happier. when it comes to her looks.
She said: 'I have literally been so busy. I've been here, there and everywhere, I'm working. But I've got to fit the gym time in.
'I'm working up to the 21st, but all next week I'm putting a dedicated time to get that bloody gym and get myself in just so I can lose a little bit of weight to enjoy myself for Christmas.
'I've been, you know, over the years, you put so much stress on yourself - like I'm never happy, never happy.
'But now I'm just really busy, but I would like to lose a bit of timber, but I'm happy with myself. And that that's the main thing,
'It's like a home renovation, your body, isn't it? So I always need a little bit of progress. I always need to paint a room.'