17 July 2023 , 10:16
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Melanie Sykes has revealed she has been diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome.
It comes after the TV presenter and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star went public with her 'life-changing' autism diagnosis.
Mum-of-two, Mel 52, opened up about her latest struggle on close friend Alan Carr's podcast as she said she had been 'wired completely differently' and was 'only now' understanding how Tourette's had impacted her daily life.
Tourette's is a neurological condition which causes involuntary muscle movements and sounds known as tics.
As Alan assured her it was OK to swear, the former Boddingtons model replied: "Oh good, but I'll try not to, because I've just discovered I have Tourette's.
Melanie Sykes explains how she dealt with her later-life health diagnosis
Melanie Sykes said her brain was 'wired differently' (Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
The mum-of-two has also spoken out about her autism diagnosis (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)"I describe in the book how I laugh at really inappropriate things. I am wired a completely different way and I'm only just understanding it.
"Where I used to think "what's wrong with me?" No I know it's everything that's right with me."
Melanie was on the show promoting her book Illuminated: Autism and all the Things I've Left Unsaid.
She previously told The Mirror the book would touch on 'fame, motherhood, self-medicating and trauma,' as well as coming back from a 'huge breakdown' in the wake of her autism diagnosis.
She said: "Getting a late diagnosis and having to learn about and understand my neurodivergent mind and sensitivities has indeed unlocked my happiness but it's been an arduous road.
"Writing this book sometimes felt like I was performing open-heart surgery on myself but I knew how necessary it was. I can now put it out into the world unapologetically and confidently because sharing all the wisdom my life has given me makes it all worthwhile."
Melanie's Tourette's diagnosis comes after singer Lewis Capaldi told fans he was taking a step back from touring following his own diagnosis last year.
After cancelling a string of gigs earlier this year, the Scottish star anounced he would be stepping back from the limelight following his Glastonbury performance in June.
In his new Netflix documentary ‘How I’m Feeling Now’, the 26-year-old opened up about the first signs of his condition, which first manifested as a twitch in his shoulder.
The Someone You Loved hitmaker revealed the twitch suddenly “became out of control”, describing it as “absolutely horrific”.
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Bizarrely – but perhaps not good for a musician – Lewis said he is generally fine in his everyday life, but affected more when he is on stage.
He told The Times: "It’s only making music that does this to me. Otherwise I can be fine for months at a time. It’s a weird situation."