Tulisa Contostavlos commanded attention on Thursday as she made a glamorous arrival at the Boodles May Festival at Chester Races. The N-Dubz star, 37, was the picture of elegance in a strapless and semi-sheer blue gown that boasted a thigh-high slit to showcase her long legs. The singer gave her look added sophistication with a matching shawl draped over her shoulders and a chic fascinator pinned to her head.
Tulisa looked in good spirits as she enjoyed the festivities with her two pals Michelle Mckenna and Priscilla Fere, despite recently dealing with short-term paralysis after suffering a Bell's palsy attack last month. She was diagnosed with the neurological disorder in 2020 - which causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face when the facial nerve is damaged or stops working properly. While her glamorous outing comes after she also recently underwent an operation to remove several cysts from her cheek, which she said had left her with a black eye for over a week.
Health Update and Candid Revelations
Tulisa revealed her Bell's palsy attack and minor short-term paralysis in a candid health update with her fans last month. The X Factor star explained how she had cancelled her egg retrieval due to her ongoing issues and a 'crazy life experience' as of late. Giving her Instagram followers an update, she went through some of the 'highs and lows' she has experienced recently in a bid to be more 'authentic'.
Tulisa explained how she is suffering nicotine withdrawals after giving up smoking and has undergone surgery to remove three cysts in her face. But she revealed how during that period, she learned the devastating news that her best friend Michelle had been diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, with the stress and upset triggering her Bell's palsy attack.
Sharing a series of photos, Tulisa wrote: 'Trying to turn my insta into a place of authenticity. All that crazy life experience into a bit of inspo & tools for others. Which includes sharing my highs & the lows! This week/month had challenges: Nicotine Withdrawals: HELLISH, but I'm now 2 months cig free. Hormonal Roller Coaster: Cancelled my recent egg retrieval due to low count (Not surprised with how my body felt). Frustrating but ok due to previous great success. Stress/hormones/nicotine withdrawals have been crazy. Surgery Success: Last 3 cysts removed by Darrylc Coombes who years ago discovered the cysts causing my swelling & Bell's palsy. Now cyst/swell free. Big thanks to Dr.Al. When other Dr's looked at me like I was crazy & must have had too much filler. What a journey.'
However, the musician went on to explain how the day of her cyst surgery, she discovered her friend Michelle's cancer diagnosis - triggering a Bell's palsy attack. 'The Big Hit: Same day as surgery, learned my soul sis Shelly has an aggressive cancer & will now start chemo/radiotherapy. Still processing,' she penned. 'She's a fighter, the fight continues. The news after post surgery effects/drugs led me to be sick & pressure from throwing up caused a Bell's palsy attack. Left my steroids in Manny but got some within 24hrs, so minor paralysis will last a week or so. Nothing compared to what my Shelly is going through. Currently in bed recovering nicely from it all.'
Tulisa concluded her post with a message to her followers to try and stay positive, writing: 'Less sob story, more reminder we're all human, going through challenges, even when it looks shiny from the outside. My inner work over the past 6 months has helped build a better baseline. Even in lows, I bounce back quicker. My improved emotional/nervous system regulation allows me to feel without staying stuck. Life isn't constant happiness, it's a series of ups & downs that define being ALIVE. It's up to u to choose ur thoughts/perceptions. It's YOUR MIND. Not the experiences, others treatment of u or the past. Don't be consumed by the experiences..Be the observer.'
Long-Standing Health Battle
After having her first Bell's palsy attack aged 24, Tulisa has explained how she became locked in a 'vicious cycle' of getting repeated fillers to try and 'balance out' her face. However, she explained that her face began to become very inflamed and swollen, reaching a peak during N-Dubz' reunion tour in 2022, which saw her join back up with her cousin Dappy and pal Fazer after an 11-year hiatus.
Opening up her mysterious health battle on Olivia Attwood's podcast So Wrong It's Right this month, Tulisa explained: 'I would have like tingling sensations like little ants crawling in my face. I started seeing doctors all around the UK – "Something's wrong with me, what's wrong with my face" – it was so scary. This went all the way up until this year it was horrific. I constantly felt like my cheek was on fire. I'd have good days and bad days and on some days, I'd take steroids, which would bring it down. When I was doing that N-Dubz run it was at its worst, so you might see an interview, I look normal. And then you see another interview, it's like, what the hell is going on with my face?'
A doctor soon got to the cause after performing an ultrasound on her face, finding 'three chronically infected cysts' in her cheek, one of which popped during an 'explorative operation' due to being so bulbous. Tulisa shared: 'I've no idea what they were caused by, they weren't filler, they were just self-occurring, but I came out of the operation and instantly my face was less swollen.'
She also shared her belief that the painful cysts had contributed to a long list of medical concerns she has battled with for years such as sarcoidosis and immune disorders, and even her Bell's palsy. She shared: 'I've had all these health problems for years – sarcoidosis, immune disorders and this explains all the symptoms that I was getting and could have been causing Bell's palsy because in total there was, I think, six of them. They could have been growing over the years, actually triggering the Bell's.'
After years of experimenting, Tulisa said she made the decision to remove the filler from her face, clarifying: 'Right now, I only have filler in my lips. There's no filler anywhere else in my face.'
