Dancing on Ice star's health battle left her unable to do everyday tasks

19 December 2023 , 20:39

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Dancing on Ice star's secret health battle that meant she couldn't get on a train (Image: ITV)

Dancing on Ice star Hannah Spearritt has revealed she's been secretly battling a debilitating health condition that left her unable to do everyday things like cook or take public transport.

The 42-year-old S Club star has had a "traumatic" year, after former bandmate and ex-boyfriend Pual Cattermole passed away ahead of the band's reunion tour. She ended up stepping away from the band, before signing up for Dancing on Ice 2024.

Naturally, it was assumed by some at the time that the driving force behind her departure was grief, but now, mum-of-two Hannah has revealed there was more to it.

Hannah has developed an autoimmune condition that causes debilitating symptoms (David M. Benett/Jed Cullen/Getty Images)

Hannah dropped out of S Club's 25-year anniversary tour (Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images For XIX Management)

Hannah had started to experience symptoms including chronic fatigue, vertigo and brain fog, and she believes two miscarriages she suffered in 2022 caused an autoimmune condition.

Speaking to Hello! Magazine, Hannah said: "I don't think I realised how much I'd deteriorated because it happened so gradually, I had no energy and couldn't even get on a train or cook dinner. That affected my mental health, too, because I've always been a physical and sporty person, it's only when you get better and can do things you love again that you realise how bad things were."

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She added: "It's been a tough and challenging year, and things happened that were quite traumatic."

Hannah dropped out of the band's 25th anniversary tour in May, after Paul's death aged just 46. The pair dated from 2001 until 2006, before splitting three years after the band split. They got back together for a few months in 2015, but parted ways soon after.

Hannah spoke to The Sun about her reasons in October, explaining: "I was extremely excited — we all were — to get back as a seven. But then Paul died and everything changed. It gave me time to reflect on whether it was the right thing for me to do.

"I hadn't been in the best of health — I've got a compromised immune system and stress makes it worse. My body just couldn't cope with everything that was happening. I wasn't myself. I was getting these crippling panic attacks, was suffering from really bad vertigo, and was tired all the time. It was affecting my kids too, because I had no energy to do ­anything with them."

She went on to say that she realised from all the stress she was feeling that she "just couldn't go back", after S Club ended so long ago. Saying it didn't "feel right", she said she made the decision with her family in mind.

Amelia Ward