Entertainment
Melanie Sykes reveals Tourette’s diagnosis and how it’s impacted her life-Rebecca Sayce-Entertainment – Metro
The star has spoken candidly about her diagnosis.
Melanie Sykes has opened up about her recent Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis in a new interview (Picture: REX/Instagram/@msmelaniesykes)
Melanie Sykes has spoken out about her Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis and got very real about how it has impacted her life.
The TV and radio presenter, 52, revealed her diagnosis of the nervous system condition during a chat with her close friend Alan Carr on his Life’s A Beach podcast.
Tourette’s syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics, according to the NHS.
During the interview, she described her relationship with Alan, 47, saying: ‘It’s been over a decade, for f*** sake! Can you swear on this?’
After assuring her that it was okay to swear on the show, Melanie revealed her Tourette’s diagnosis.
‘Oh good, but I’ll try not to, because I’ve just discovered I have Tourette’s.’
Her Tourette’s diagnosis follows the news of her ‘life-changing’ autism diagnosis (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/REX)
The radio presenter revealed her diagnosis with Tourette’s during an appearance on her friend Allan Carr’s podcast (Picture: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for ENO)
‘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?” Now I know it’s everything that’s right with me.’
The news comes after the mum-of-two went public with her autism diagnosis, something that she described as ‘life-changing.’
Melanie appeared on the podcast to promote her new book, Illuminated: Autism and all the Things I’ve Left Unsaid, which the star told The Mirror would discuss her ‘huge breakdown’ after being diagnosed with autism.
What is Tourette’s syndrome and what are the symptoms?
The NHS says Tourette’s syndrome is a condition that causes a person to make involuntary sounds and movements called tics.
Tics and other symptoms usually begin during childhood, but usually improve after several years and sometimes go away completely.
Tics are the main symptom of Tourette’s syndrome. They usually appear in childhood between the ages of two and 14.
Many associate Tourette’s syndrome with swearing, though this vocal tic only appears in one in 10 people.
There is currently no cure for Tourette’s syndrome, but treatment can help manage symptoms.
People with Tourette’s syndrome usually have a combination of physical and vocal tics.
Examples of physical tics include:
Blinking
Eye rolling
Grimacing
Shoulder shrugging
Jerking of the head or limbs
Jumping
Twirling
Touching objects and other people
Examples of vocal tics include:
Grunting
Throat clearing
Whistling
Coughing
Tongue clicking
Animal sounds
Saying random words and phrases
Repeating a sound, word, or phrase
Swearing
Her Tourette’s diagnosis follows the likes of Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi opening up on living with the syndrome.
The Lost On You singer, 26, initially told fans he had the condition six months after his March diagnosis, revealing the decision to speak up was sparked when he started ‘twitching a wee bit on stage’ in summer.
‘I was like, “Yeah, I’ve got Tourette’s. Don’t worry about it”,’ he said. ‘And then it became this thing. If something’s going on with me, I’ll share it with the room. (It) makes me feel better to share,’ he said on his Instagram account.
He continued: ‘The movements are more exaggerated now. So, I do my neck cracks a lot; I, kind of, lift my left shoulder up, my face moves a bit and I do these deep breaths.
‘I can see… micro versions of them in interviews that I’ve done in the past. I think I’ve always done this stuff.’ He added that his diagnosis ‘was a shock but it was also like, “Oh, that explains so much of my life.”’
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Entertainment – MetroRead More
