**TOWIE Star Chloe Meadows Reveals Decade-Long Struggle with Undiagnosed Health Condition**
Chloe Meadows, widely recognised for her appearances on the reality show *The Only Way Is Essex*, has courageously opened up about living with persistent symptoms of ulcerative colitis, a chronic inflammatory bowel ailment, for nearly a decade before seeking medical help. The television personality, now aged 33, spoke candidly about her health ordeal during an emotional interview, shedding light on both the physical and psychological challenges she faced throughout her young adult life.
Meadows first became aware of the condition when she was just 16, noticing alarming signs while at college far from home. Speaking on Dr Oscar Duke’s Bedside Manners podcast, she recounted the unsettling moment she discovered blood in the toilet – a concerning indicator that can often be underplayed among teenagers. She relayed the incident to her mother, who immediately urged her to consult a healthcare professional.
Despite being referred for a colonoscopy, a medical procedure that investigates the large bowel for abnormalities, Meadows never attended her appointment. The fear of hospitals and medical interventions proved overwhelming for the teenage Chloe, leading her to ignore the issue in the hope it would resolve itself. She describes this period as one dominated by both youthful inexperience and a deep-seated apprehension about facing the unknown.
“In my mind, the absence of persistent symptoms meant I could forget about it,” Meadows admitted. She detailed experiencing intermittent periods of relief, with symptoms such as the presence of blood disappearing for months or even years at a time. Meadows now acknowledges that these intervals were deceptive and ultimately encouraged her to downplay the seriousness of her condition, even withholding the full extent of her symptoms from her concerned mother.
Ulcerative colitis, as the NHS outlines, is a long-term disease wherein the colon and rectum become inflamed. Typical symptoms include recurring diarrhoea, often blood-stained, constant fatigue, reduced appetite, and unwanted weight loss. It is estimated that over 300,000 individuals in the UK are living with a diagnosis of colitis, according to Crohn’s and Colitis UK.
Meadows’ turning point came a decade after her symptoms first emerged. At the age of 26, having started a new restrictive diet, she found herself losing significant amounts of blood. Her mother, alarmed by her daughter’s pallor, insisted she undergo blood tests. The results were concerning enough for doctors to contact her family, urging immediate hospital attention as her blood levels had dropped perilously low. Meadows recalls receiving a succession of missed calls from her father, followed by a text imploring her to travel straight to A&E.
Though this intervention marked the beginning of her journey with professional healthcare, it was not an end to her struggles. Meadows recounted suffering her longest period of symptom flare-up following the stressful filming of a high-pressure scene for TOWIE—a reminder of how both physical and psychological factors can exacerbate chronic illnesses like ulcerative colitis.
The condition can be unpredictable, with people frequently experiencing lengthy spells of remission, during which symptoms subside, followed by sudden flare-ups. Treatments available include corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, immunosuppressant medications, and, in severe cases, surgery to remove affected portions of the intestines.
Addressing the wider context, Chloe’s story acts as a critical reminder of the importance of seeking timely medical attention, particularly when confronted with distressing or persistent symptoms. Her candour may encourage others—especially younger people anxious about medical systems—to talk openly about their health concerns and to access the support they need.
As awareness of ulcerative colitis and other inflammatory bowel diseases grows, stories like Chloe Meadows’ serve to highlight both the human cost of untreated chronic illness and the need for greater understanding and compassion around invisible health struggles. While Chloe continues to manage her condition, her reflections offer hope and solidarity to thousands who may be experiencing similar journeys but remain wary of coming forward.