Former Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington has been diagnosed with a debilitating health condition, she has revealed.
The 36 year old announced the life-changing news on Instagram this week.
View this post on Instagram
Rebecca Adlington reveals coeliac diagnosis
In a new video posted on the Coeliac UK Instagram page, I’m A Celebrity star Rebecca – who appeared on the show in 2013 – spoke about her own recent diagnosis.
Coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages your gut, which means that your body cannot properly take in nutrients.
Symptoms of Coeliac disease include abdominal pain, bloating and diarrhoea. It can also cause fatigue, infertility and nerve damage.
In a video for the Coeliac UK page, Rebecca urged people to sign a petition for gluten-free prescriptions.
Rebecca urges followers to sign petition
Speaking to the camera in the video, Rebecca said: “Hello everyone. As someone newly diagnosed with coeliac disease, I have definitely quickly learnt how vital gluten free prescriptions are for managing this condition.
“But in some areas, these prescriptions are totally being cut,” she then continued.
“Coeliac UK is handing a petition to Number 10 to make sure we’re heard, so please sign and share the petition today.”
The video was captioned: “Our petition to protect gluten free prescriptions has now closed, and thanks to your incredible support, we reached an outstanding 22,826 signatures.
“On Wednesday 19 March, we delivered the petition directly to 10 Downing Street, presenting our call for action to the UK Government. ”
They also added: “We would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who signed the petition, helping us push this crucial cause forward, and to all those who supported our campaign, including the brilliant @beckadlington, for her incredible backing.”
‘Well done Becky’
There was plenty of support for Rebecca and the movement in the comments.
“Yes @beckadlington thanks for helping to raise awareness. Gluten free food should be affordable and accessible to EVERYONE who needs it,” one fan commented.
“So good to have someone famous helping to raise awareness. Well done Becky,” another then said.
“Awesome to have @beckadlington backing the campaign! What a role model! Thank you Becky,” a third then wrote.
“The more people raising awareness the better,” another then commented.
What do you think of Rebecca’s diagnosis? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.