Josie Gibson has spoken about the toll her home renovation has taken on her health, describing the 'ridiculous amount of stress' she has endured. The 41-year-old This Morning presenter moved into a caravan in her back garden last year while work was carried out on her dream country home. However, the project has not been without its problems; she was charged £154 by a locksmith after locking herself out of the caravan shortly after moving in.
The former Big Brother star is renovating a dilapidated property in Somerset into a sustainable, eco-friendly home. The process will feature in her new seven-part ITV series, Josie Gibson's Big Country Build, later this year. Her brothers Charlie and Josh, along with her cousin Tom and a team of locals, are helping to transform the £1million property. Speaking to Closer, she admitted: 'I'm trying to do it as cheaply as possible, but I have bitten off a lot more than I can chew. The amount of stress it's taken to this stage is ridiculous, and everything has been on my shoulders. I've even started to have some eyesight issues because of it.'
Once the building work is complete, Josie plans to live off-grid with her son Reggie and their animals. A source told the Mirror that she dreams of a quiet life, adding that she 'doesn't care' about fame and 'wants to settle down with a nice man' to create a 'stable family life' for Reggie.
The presenter has also opened up about her ongoing health struggles. Last year she was diagnosed with lipoedema, a condition that causes fat to build up in parts of the body, including the legs and sometimes the arms. As the condition means she cannot lose fat in affected areas through diet or exercise, she underwent two surgeries – liposuction and an arm lift. She told Woman magazine: 'No matter how fit you are or what your diet is, with lipoedema you can't lose fat. So I had to do something about it and I've had two surgeries now – liposuction and an arm lift. My arms were really lumpy and horrible. I've got this little waist, I shouldn't have cellulite on my arms!'
Josie said she is now recovering and waiting for her bandages to be removed, admitting the recovery has left her unable to carry out simple tasks. She revealed: 'I couldn't even put the bins out.' She is due to appear on How to Clean Up for Cash tonight (Monday, May 12) from 7.30pm to 8pm on ITV.
