Melanie Sykes has reassured fans she is “healing” and urged them not to worry, as she continues to manage a debilitating autoimmune condition.
The presenter, 55, disclosed last week that she has been “in so much pain” and is now “two-thirds bald” due to the illness, which has also caused widespread inflammation.
Updating followers on Instagram on Wednesday, she struck a defiant tone, sharing: “Life is so good, and I know it because I’m right here right now and there’s nothing to fear. There is nothing to fear.
“The more I tune into faith, and believing that all is well because it is, because I’m experiencing it, so I know that it is, that it’ll only get better.”
Sykes explained that while she is open about her diagnosis, she prefers not to make it the centre of every conversation.
“It’s not like I’m hiding it, I’d just rather have conversation about something else because I’ve got that down and I’m healing myself,” she added.
“Worry about yourselves, if anything, and I don’t even mean worry about yourselves, I just mean attend to your own spiritual garden, yourself, your body, your mind, your creative spirit.
“Don’t worry about me, I’ve got me, I’ve always got me, I’ve learned to really take care of myself in the last two years.”
Her update follows a video shared on Sunday, in which she detailed ongoing inflammation and hair loss, while wrapped up in a jumper, jacket, scarf and hat.
She told followers she has been “living a very, very spiritual existence” and encouraged others to try meditation.
The TV presenter shared: “I'm not well, as you know, I’ve been ill all year, I've got an autoimmune condition, I am losing my hair, I keep having crazy inflammation all over and I am working on healing.
“In the last three months, I've done a meditation teacher training course. I was too ill to finish it like literally the last two days of it I couldn’t do, it’s a meditation teacher training, I don’t necessarily want to teach, but I can do... Mostly I’ve been living a very, very very spiritual existence.”
Alongside the clip, she wrote: “It’s been a while [love-heart emoji] I have ignited my YouTube channel again after a long period of learning, meditating and healing (this is ongoing). Remember I love you always.”
In April, Sykes first opened up about her health struggles, revealing she is battling alopecia and heart problems brought on by stress.
The 54-year-old star shared an image on Instagram clearly showing a bald patch on the side of her head, blaming it on "PTSD, shock, mistreatment and malpractice."
In a separate video posted to her YouTube channel, the presenter further explained her conditions, linking her alopecia and irregular heartbeat to stress triggered by allegations about her former colleague, Gino D'Acampo.
TV chef D'Acampo has been accused of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour spanning 12 years, allegations he strongly denies. Mel, who worked with him on ITV's Let's Do Lunch, described how the news profoundly affected her.
Recalling the night the allegations broke, Sykes said at the time: "The night that it all broke about Gino D'Acampo, I didn't sleep a wink. I remember thinking, god if I can't sleep because it has brought everything back to me, how the f*** is he feeling? I actually felt sorry for him."
She continued: "What he has said and does, and alleged to have said and done... It's so heinous. He must feel like s*** about himself, unless he's a complete narcissist and thinks that's okay. Who knows, I'm not a psychotherapist and I haven't studied him but I've experienced him."
Melanie has previously spoken openly about her own experiences of "misogyny" in the TV industry, claiming she left television altogether in 2021 following an inappropriate remark from former MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace.
Alopecia is a condition characterised by hair loss, which can occur suddenly and unpredictably. It is often triggered by stress, trauma, or autoimmune responses. While it can be distressing, treatment and management options can help hair regrowth.
