Latest news with #BillieShepherd
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Reality TV star Billie Shepherd reveals ‘scary' Lyme disease diagnosis
'One day I was fine, the next I woke up with really bad pains in my elbows and my arms,' the mother-of-three said. 'I thought I must have slept funny. I tried to ignore it but as the days went on, the pain went all over my body to the point where I couldn't even get out of bed. It was horrendous. Sisters Billie Shepherd (left) and Sam Faiers will appear alongside each other in their new programme Sam And Billie: Sister Act (Yui Mok/PA) 'I would have to crawl. 'Going to the toilet, I was in bits, I was hysterical, crying, because I was in so much pain.' Shepherd – whose younger sister is Sam Faiers – starred alongside her sibling in ITVBe show The Mummy Diaries, which followed the ups and downs of their family lives. The 35-year-old said she relied on her husband Greg Shepherd, who she has been married to since 2019, for support as she battled the illness. 'It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without Greg helping me,' she told the Mirror. 'It was so scary.' According to the NHS, early symptoms of Lyme disease can be a circular rash, but this may not appear until up to three months after being bitten by an infected tick. Shepherd said she first started noticing symptoms in January and that she went back and forth to doctors for about two months before being diagnosed with the infection, which she said she had 'never heard of'. 'I had hard, red lumps all over my legs, which were so painful, a horrible rash on my back and extreme fatigue,' she said. Billie Shepherd said she relied on her husband Greg for support as she battled the illness (Suzan Moore/PA) The worst of her symptoms, she said, was reactive arthritis, which she described as 'the most intense, awful pain in my joints'. Some people with Lyme disease develop more severe symptoms months or years later, the NHS website says, and a few people who are diagnosed continue to have symptoms, like tiredness, aches and loss of energy that can last for years. Shepherd told the Mirror she is still suffering from fatigue. She also told of the difficulty in telling her children, her two daughters Nelly, 11, and Margot, two, and eight-year-old son Arthur, about her illness. 'Kids are adaptable, but I was so poorly there's no way they wouldn't notice,' she said. 'I explained honestly why I wasn't very well. Nelly understands, she's on the ball and will ask if it's Lyme disease that's making me tired when I'm not feeling good.' Shepherd said she hopes talking about her diagnosis in her upcoming show with Faiers will raise awareness of the condition, of which there are around 1,500 laboratory-confirmed cases in England and Wales each year, according to the UK Health Security Agency. She told the Mirror: 'If I can raise awareness and offer others comfort at the same time, I'll be happy.' Sam And Billie: Sister Act starts on Tuesday 19 August at 9pm on ITV2.
The Sun
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
James ‘Arg' Argent supported by best pal Billie Shepherd at gig three months after attack on beauty queen ex girlfriend
BILLIE Shepherd showed her support for James 'Arg' Argent by supporting him at a gig in Mallorca. Shamed Towie star Arg came under fire after attacking his girlfriend model Nicoline, 32, while they were at their home in Spain three months ago. 6 6 6 Despite a damning 800-word statement from Nicoline detailing what happened that night, Arg has been business as usual, picking up performing gigs with his band in Mallorca. And for his latest appearance, Billie and husband Greg popped over to see him, grabbing a smiley photo with their pal after he was done on stage. Arg happily shared the pic, and beamed as he said: "My old friends [Greg] and [Billie] came and surprised me at my gig tonight. Love Em." Billie and Greg are currently having a family getaway in Mallorca with their children Nelly, Arthur and Margot, but slipped off for some time together for the evening. The duo are seen with bronzed tans as they posed with Arg, each holding drinks in their hand with Billie wearing a blue sundress and Greg wearing a brightly multicoloured shirt. Arg stood between them, beaming with an arm around each of them, in a white unbuttoned shirt. before admitting a charge of domestic violence in court over the incident, which occurred in May. He shoved Nicoline Artursson down a flight of stairs during an argument, with Nicoline later revealing he started throwing her clothes over their balcony while she was injured. He was handed a six month suspended sentence and a two-year restraining order, banning him from contacting Nicoline. In her statement following the incident, she said: "I have cried so many tears thinking about the way he chose to hurt me. He said he loved me and I believed him and here we are. James Argent parties with Towie pals at Tommy and Georgia's Majorca wedding after ex Nicoline broke her silence on his attack 'There is now a legal record of what happened. Violence has no excuse - no matter how much love preceded it.' Arg has only spoken briefly about the incident, saying he was "devastated" by what happened but denied speculation he had broken his three-year long sobriety. However, the Towie cast members and longtime friends of Arg have continued to rally around him, with Tommy Mallett and Georgia Kousoulou having him at their wedding, and Megan McKenna celebrating her nuptials with him in attendance too. Long-time best pal Mark Wright has also been silently keeping an eye out for him - though was unimpressed with his behaviour. 'Arg is basically Mark's family, it was never in question he'd support him, though of course he was completely unimpressed by everything that went down between Arg and Nicoline," a source explained to The Sun. 'Mark put his head in his hands when it all came out, mainly because he knows he's stuck between a rock and a hard place. "Arg is his best friend, and there is a lot of loyalty there, but Mark has a respected career and now a daughter - he absolutely doesn't condone violence towards women." 6 6 6
Daily Mail
06-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd are back! First look at new reality show Sister Act sees pair return to screens for first time in four years and battle 'humbling new lows'
Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd fans will be happy to know that the sisters will be back on our TV screens very soon. The siblings - who shot to fame on ITVBe's TOWIE in 2010 - landed their own programme Sam and Billie Faiers: The Mummy Diaries in 2016. The reality programme, which followed the lives of the pair, wrapped up in 2021 and Billie then landed her own show The Family Diaries - which was available to watch between 2021 to 2024. And now, four years on from when they were last on our screens together, Sam, 34, and Billie, 35, will be starring in Sam & Billie: Sister Act on ITV2 later this month. Viewers will see the pair 'battle with health worries', 'face shocking truths' and make loads of memories as a family. The show's press release states: 'Finally, Sam and Billie are reunited, enter the next chapter of their lives as they take on the world together. 'With the kids a bit older it's time for them to focus more on themselves and take a bit of sister time out whilst maintaining the crazy juggle of motherhood, their careers and celebrity life.' It adds: 'From emotional heart-to-hearts and healing past wounds to celebrating milestones and facing life's unexpected curveballs, the sisters join forces to ride the glamorous highs and humbling lows. 'With several trips abroad, glitzy events and family life back home, this series is access all areas.' The pair's mum Suzie Wells, 55, and their step-dad Dave Chatwood, 70, will appear on the show. In one snap the girls look in high spirits as they cuddle up next to their parents in Billie's kitchen. Another showed Billie taking a snap of her glamorous mum while out and about. Billie could also be seen cleaning up her living/dining area with daughter Margot, two, on her hip. The news that Sam and Billie were returning to TV was announced back in April. A source told The Sun at the time: 'Of all the original TOWIE stars, they've kept a fiercely loyal fanbase for nearly 15 years and everyone was sad when Sam and then Billie decided to call time on their fly-on-the-wall shows. 'The new series, which will air later this year, will look at motherhood from a different angle and be less about the kids and more about their careers and juggling their businesses.' It's a huge curve ball for Sam, who quit their show to live a more private life away from the cameras. Announcing the news back in 2021 that she had quit their joint reality show, she said: 'After many months of consideration, I've decided that now feels like the right time to step away and to focus on new adventures. 'I truly have watched all the most defining moments in my adult life play out on The Mummy Diaries - bringing two beautiful children into the world, my relationship with Paul, building my businesses, creating a home together as a family, and of course all the wonderful memories with Billie and my family. 'I'm so grateful to ITV and Potato for giving me and my children the best home movies anyone could ask for, I could never have imagined seven years ago that we would still be here today - 9 series on! But more importantly, I will be forever appreciative to our incredible viewers. 'There's no family more entertaining than the Shepherds, so I can't wait to sit back as a viewer for a change and watch the fun play out while I have a few adventures of my own away from the cameras.' Billie has been married to Greg Shepherd, 40, since 2019. The pair have been together since 2011. They share three kids Nelly, 10, Arthur, seven, and Margot, two. Meanwhile Sam started dating partner Paul, 37, in 2014. The couple have three children eight-year-old Paul, five-year-old Rosie and Edward, two. Sam & Billie: Sister Act premiers on the 19th August at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX.
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Sam Faiers showcases her incredible figure in skimpy co-ord as she launches her Revive Collagen brand in the US
Sam Faiers looked incredible as she posed for a sexy photoshoot in Beverly Hills, California on Monday. The former TOWIE star, 34, is in the US to celebrate the American launch of her beauty supplement brand, Revive Collagen. For the shoot, Sam showcased her jaw-dropping figure in a pink plaid bra which she wore with matching bottoms. The mother-of-three also wore a short-sleeved crop top and added height to her frame with a pair of pink heels. Posing on a street lined with palm trees, Sam complimented her look with a stylish pair of sunglasses. The star beamed at the camera as she stood on the intersection between Sunset Boulevard and Beverly Drive in the city. Sam and her sister Billie Shepherd are working on a brand new fly-on-the-wall series together amid TOWIE 's 15th anniversary. Billie, 35, quit her long-running ITVBe series The Family Diaries in September as she wanted to give her three children the chance to 'grow up away from cameras'. Meanwhile, Samantha stepped back from the show three years earlier to focus on Revive Collagen. Now, the sisters are reuniting for a fresh format focusing on their lives as entrepreneurs. A TV insider revealed: 'Sam has been making waves internationally with her brand, Revive Collagen, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Chris Appleton in LA, who is a brand ambassador for her business, and jet-setting across the globe to grow her brand.' 'ITV sees this as the perfect moment to bring the sisters back together. Sam and Billie have always been ratings gold, and their new show promises to be bigger and better than ever.' The show, which is expected to air later this year, will follow both sisters as they navigate their personal and professional lives as entrepreneurs. The mother-of-three also wore a short-sleeved crop top and added height to her frame with a pair of pink heels It's understood that Sam was hesitant to return to TV, but ITV made her an offer she couldn't refuse as part of an exclusive golden handcuffs deal. The opportunity to work alongside her sister again played an important role in her decision. It comes after Billie and her husband Greg quit their ITV show The Family Diaries after six series in September last year. The couple, who regularly share intimate details of their family life on their hit show, have packed up the series to 'let their children grow up away from cameras'. Billie and Greg, 39, share three children Nelly, 10, Arthur, seven, and Margot, 25 months, who have grown up on reality TV since birth. Their oldest daughter Nelly made her television debut on The Only Way Is Essex in 2014 when she was weeks old.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ITV closes channel to shift reality shows to ITV2
ITV has announced that ITVBe will close later this year as the channel's reality shows including The Only Way Is Essex (Towie) move to ITV2. The broadcaster also said the channel slot will be replaced with a new channel called ITV Quiz, which will focus on its quiz and game shows. The Real Housewives Of Cheshire and Real Housewives franchises will move from ITVBe to ITV2 in June 2025, along with Towie. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Only Way is Essex (@towie) The ITVBe brand will 'retire', following ITV analysing the watching habits of ITVX's personalised channels that are themed around programmes such as Hell's Kitchen US and The Chase, as well as genres such as true crime. ITV said the 'reality genre provides some of the most highly consumed programming on ITV2 and ITVX', including dating series Love Island, and the spin-off Big Brother chat show, which are popular with younger viewers. New commissions for ITV2 include a reunion series for siblings and former Towie stars Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd in Sam & Billie: Sister Act. Faiers previously fronted the ITVBe series Sam & Billie: The Mummy Diaries, before departing in 2021, while Shepherd fronted the show Billie & Greg: The Family Diaries from 2021 to 2024. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Real Housewives of Cheshire (@officialrhoch) ITV2's 'supercharged offering' also includes the sitcoms G'Wed and Transaction and factual entertainment programme Olivia Attwood's Price Of Perfection. Love Island and Big Brother will return in the summer and autumn months respectively, ITV said. Towie celebrates its 15th anniversary year in 2025, with an Autumn series. Its original debut was on ITV2, before moving to ITVBe.
