This Morning favourite Jordon Cox has emotionally revealed the details of a secret health battle that left him frighteningly close to death in his early twenties. The 28-year-old TV presenter, best known as the Coupon King, opened up about his struggle with Crohn's disease during a candid interview on the ITV daytime show with hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary.
A Painful Journey to Diagnosis
Jordon explained that his health issues began during his teenage years with stomach cramps initially dismissed as growing pains. The situation dramatically worsened when he was 17 after a severe bout of food poisoning. "After it all cleared up, I never got better," he recounted. He suffered from extreme fatigue and would become breathless from minimal exertion.
The path to a correct diagnosis was long and fraught with difficulty. His GP initially found nothing wrong, and he was later misdiagnosed with bulimia. "I wanted to eat, but every time I ate, I'd be in severe abdominal pain," Jordon told the concerned hosts. It was only after undergoing a colonoscopy that he received a definitive diagnosis of Crohn's disease, which he described as a huge "relief" after years of uncertainty.
A Terrifying Decline and Life-Saving Intervention
After a period of stability, Jordon's health took a catastrophic turn in 2018. He experienced debilitating symptoms including severe diarrhoea and blood in his stools. His weight plummeted to a dangerous low. "I got down to six stone. I'm six foot five. I was skin and bone at that point," he revealed. "I was probably a few months away from my body just giving up completely."
Admitted to hospital for urgent surgery, doctors delivered a stark warning: he was too thin to survive the operation. To save his life, he was placed on Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), receiving vital nutrients directly into his bloodstream 24 hours a day via a wire in his arm to gain enough weight for the procedure.
Rebuilding a 'Normal Life' After Surgery
The eventual surgery, which included the use of a stoma bag, proved transformative. "It was one of the best things I could have done. It gave me my life back," Jordon stated. He recalled being so weak at his lowest point that walking from his bedroom to the bathroom felt like running a marathon.
After a year, surgeons were able to successfully reconnect his bowel. Jordon now lives a normal life, and reflected positively on his experience with the stoma bag, stating, "life with the bag was fine as well."
On the show, Dr Zoe Williams provided context for viewers, explaining that Crohn's disease is not curable but treatments have improved significantly. She highlighted that factors like genetics, smoking, gut microbiome imbalance, and even stress or food poisoning can trigger the condition.
Alison Hammond was visibly moved during the segment, telling Jordon, "I can't believe you've been through all this. It's unbelievable, when we see you here..." The emotional interview shed a powerful light on the hidden struggles many face with chronic illness.
