.Alexandra Burke announces hidden health battle on ITV This Morning after being left 'too ashamed'

Alexandra Burke announces hidden health battle on ITV This Morning after.

Editor Stephen Hill   05/ 04/23

Former X factor winner Alexandra Burke announces hidden health battle on ITV This Morning after being left 'too ashamed'.

The singer has bravely opened up on a crippling battle which left in "agony".   Alexandra was on ITV This Morning to discuss her hidden health battle with Alison Hammond and Dermot O'Leary on Wednesday 5 April. 

 Alexandra, 34, discussed her irritable bowel syndrome battle (IBS)  She said “anxiety” in her twenties was “triggering it” and symptoms were “so bad” she thought to herself that “she couldn’t do it anymore”.  

“It’s something I was too shy and too ashamed to speak about, which you shouldn’t be really,” Alexandra said. “It’s those things we don’t naturally want to talk about, but here I am.” She added: “I was getting loads of cramps, the constant feeling of wanting to go to the toilet.  .” She added: “That for me was the worst one. Because I’d be on stage having to put a smile on my face and having to be in agony.”  

 “If I ate a meal beforehand, it would just occur on stage. I wouldn’t know what to do.” Dermot then asked: “What were you doing to try and also alleviate it, did anything work?”  She replied: “I changed my fitness lifestyle, mediation was something I took on too. Just doing everything in my power to eliminate certain things.” 

Alexandra added: “It helped to a degree mentally. But nothing really helped in terms of my tummy.”  Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common condition that affects the digestive system, the NHS says. It causes symptoms like stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation. These tend to come and go over time, and can last for days, weeks or months at a time.  There's no cure, but diet changes and medicines can often help control the symptoms