TV star Melanie Sykes has disclosed that she is “two-thirds bald” following a diagnosis with an autoimmune condition. The 55-year-old former ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!’ contestant shared the update in an emotional Instagram video, telling fans she has been “ill all year” and is experiencing hair loss and widespread inflammation.
Sykes described her current lifestyle as “living a very, very, very spiritual existence” and revealed she had enrolled in a meditation teacher training course. However, she was unable to complete the final two days due to her health. “I’m in so much pain but I wanted to say hello,” she said, adding, “I’m two-thirds bald, really. Every time I say I’m bald I laugh, I don’t know why... Thank god I can laugh.”
The presenter previously attributed her health struggles to stress from media attention surrounding allegations against TV chef Gino D’Acampo. In April, she said she developed an irregular heartbeat and rapid hair loss, which she linked to “PTSD from the TV industry”. Sykes worked with D’Acampo on ITV’s ‘Let’s Do Lunch with Gino and Mel’ from 2011 to 2014. D’Acampo has denied claims of making sexualised comments to female staff.
Since leaving mainstream broadcasting in 2021, Sykes has been diagnosed with ADHD and autism. She published a memoir, ‘Illuminated: Autism and All The Things I Left Unsaid’, in 2023.
