N-Dubz star Tulisa Contostavlos has opened up about a tough health battle ahead of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!. The 36-year-old singer, now battling it out in the Aussie jungle with Coleen Rooney and Danny Jones, revealed her struggle with Bell’s Palsy – a condition that left her face swollen and paralysed for months.
Tulisa’s Shocking Bell’s Palsy Battle
Before stepping into the jungle, Tulisa stunned fans on Olivia Attwood’s So Wrong It’s Right podcast with the story of her first Bell’s Palsy attack at just 24.
“I had my first Bell’s Palsy attack when I was about 24,” she said. “I had a massive burst of inflammation, my whole face dropped—eye, everything. I couldn’t move it, and my face stayed like that for seven months. I didn’t go out; I just hid in the house.”
After seven gruelling months, her face slowly recovered – but the damage was lasting. Tulisa had to turn to fillers to mask the unevenness caused by the inflammation.
The Lingering Pain and Struggles
Tulisa’s battle wasn’t over. After a couple of quiet years, the horror returned with nasty swelling and creepy tingling sensations.
“It started to get worse, and it felt like ants crawling in my face,” she revealed. The inflammation made her cheek feel like it was “on fire.”
To fight back, she relied on steroids – which caused wild fluctuations in how her face looked during interviews.
“You might see one interview where I look normal, and another where you’re like, ‘What the hell is going on with her face.’”
Medical Scare: Infected Cysts Discovered
This year, Tulisa hit a new low after an ultrasound uncovered three chronically infected cysts lurking in her cheek. Some have been surgically removed, with more operations pending.
She stressed these cysts had nothing to do with her facial fillers and is hopeful the upcoming surgeries will finally ease her misery.
Tulisa Faces Jungle Life with Grit
Despite her health woes, Tulisa is refusing to be beaten. Fans have praised her honesty and grit as she battles on in the wilds of Australia.
Her openness has won her plenty of admirers, and she’s quickly becoming a camp favourite thanks to her resilience and real talk.
I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! airs nightly on ITV1 and ITVX.
