Former BBC Breakfast presenter Louise Minchin, 57, has shared a new Instagram photo of herself in a turquoise bikini, offering a fresh update on her recovery from frostbite. The journalist, who left the programme in 2021, posted the image on August 17 while enjoying time by a pool.
Creative solution for swimming
Minchin explained that her still-healing frostbitten toes have made swimming difficult in 2026, so she found an alternative way to enjoy the water. Instead of getting her injured foot wet, she lay back in an inflatable boat while reading a book in the pool. She paired the aqua two-piece with a brown sunhat and sunglasses, with white Crocs nearby. Bandages were visible on her left foot, and she added glitzy bracelets and rings to the ensemble.
In her caption, she wrote: “Of all the summers not to be able to swim because of my still healing frostbitten toes, 2026 has been challenging, but after some testing I’ve discovered a way to be in the water without being ‘in’ the water, it’s not as easy as it looks in the first photo! But I was very pleased I managed to match my bikini, to my book and my lilo!”
Fans react with support
Fans responded positively in the comments, praising her colour coordination and recovery progress. One wrote: “Haha brilliant, I love the colour coordination.” Another commented: “Excellent matching all round! Hope the recovery continues well.” A third posted: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Frostbite from Arctic charity ride
Minchin developed frostbite while raising money for the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme during a bike ride in the Arctic Circle, where temperatures dropped to -40C. She was forced to stop the challenge after frostbite affected her fingers and toes. Earlier this year, she said: “My thumb is not so good and my toes are not so good. So it's a journey and it's a bit like a rollercoaster. You don't quite know what the highs and the lows [are].”
