Steph McGovern reveals she is ‘in agony’ with health issues and has lost weight as Channel 4 show Packed Lunch wraps
STEPH McGovern revealed she is ‘in agony’ with health issues and has lost weight after the latest series of Channel 4’s Packed Lunch came to an end.
The TV presenter took to Instagram to open up about what has been going on with her body recently.
The star posted a makeup-free snap to her account, with visible blisters on her face.
Steph, who recently celebrated her 40th birthday, captioned the post: “Here’s a pic of me looking rough, let me explain why…
“We’re coming to the end of this series of Packed Lunch (we’re on a summer break after tomorrow) and whenever I get to the end of a long run I get poorly.
“I’ve always had this whatever job I’ve been doing. I bet lots of people are the same.
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“This time I have a bad ear infection and blisters in/around my ear/hair/face. It has been agony.”
The telly favourite further explained that she’s on medication to help fight it off – however it has made other symptoms of another condition worse.
“I’m on a load of different drugs to try and treat infections and ease pain,” Steph continued.
“Some of them are antibiotics, which has totally buggered up my gut health (you know how obsessed I am about that) so my IBS is back in full swing being a total b*tch.
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“Anyway, I’m not meaning to moan (it’s not a big deal in the grand scheme of things and I’ll be fine after some rest).
“I just wanted to explain why I’ve been a bit quieter on here.
“And also to say, if you’re knackered/rundown/working too hard then please look after yourself and don’t let your health take a back seat like I have.”
Steph has also recently lost weight due to suffering with irritable bowel syndrome.
Symptoms of IBS
The most common signs a person suffering IBS can experience are:
- stomach pain and cramping, which may be relieved by having a poo
- a change in your bowel habits – such as diarrhoea, constipation, or sometimes both
- bloating and swelling of your stomach
- excessive wind
- occasionally experiencing an urgent need to go to the toilet
- a feeling that you have not fully emptied your bowels after going to the toilet
- passing mucus from your bottom
“I’ve had IBS for as long as I can remember, but I just assumed it was one of those things you either have or you don’t have and there isn’t any cure,” she told The Mirror.
“So for a long time, I just accepted it. I used to get awful cramps and run to the loo.
“Then I did a show for the BBC called Easy Ways To Live Well and I discovered my gut was in the worst third of the population.
“I started to adapt my diet but then I fell pregnant with my little girl and couldn’t do that. So now I’ve started to focus on my gut health again and it’s changed my life. I take a probiotic called Symprove, which helps massively, and I do intermittent fasting midweek – so I only eat between 11am and 7pm. I’ve also introduced more gut-friendly foods.
“Suddenly, I realised I’d lost my bloated belly, which was amazing. People would ask me all the time whether I was pregnant because I had this swollen stomach and now it’s gone.
“So I wasn’t trying to be super thin – I was pretty happy with how I looked – it was only by trying to help my IBS that I’ve lost weight.”
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Steph’s Packed Lunch first hit our screens two years ago, but before that was a business presenter on BBC Breakfast.
The popular show has wrapped up for summer and fans will have to wait a while before it returns.