N-Dubz singer and former X Factor judge Tulisa Contostavlos returned to TV screens on Sunday night as one of the first 10 celebs entering the I’m A Celebrity jungle.
A formerly familiar presence on television and in UK music charts, the 36-year-old has enjoyed a relative step back from the spotlight in recent years.
But now, each night ITV viewers will be able to see how she copes with living in the wilderness alongside the likes of Coleen Rooney, Danny Jones, Oti Mabuse and Jane Moore.
Inevitably, seeing Contostavlos back on primetime television sparked quite the reaction from viewers who haven’t kept up to date with what the star has been up to in recent years.
And one common perception centred on the singer’s changing appearance since her X Factor days, something she bravely addressed prior to her stint Down Under.
Addressing rumours of undergoing cosmetic surgery, the singer told Olivia Attwood on her podcast: “I hadn’t had any surgery until, confession time… recently.
“All the time before there was no surgery, it was only fillers.”
The singer then explained that one of the major factors in going under the knife was a bout with the health condition, Bell’s palsy.
According to the NHS, Bell’s palsy “is a temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects one side of the face. Treatment with steroids can help and most people get better within six months”.
She’d also previously told the Loose Women panel back in 2020: “I do suffer from Bell’s palsy… it can cause facial paralysis, it can cause swelling.
“I think the first attack I had was after a serious horse-riding accident. I fractured my skull and it caused a lot of nerve damage.
“At any time, I have emergency steroids on me, and now luckily I know how to manage it, so the attacks don’t last as long.
“There have actually been times when people have criticised me for the way I look and my face, not knowing I’m actually going through a Bell’s palsy attack,” she added, via Cosmo.
On Sunday evening after she’d returned to screens, fans rushed to stick up for the singer in case of any trolling over her changing appearance.
X Factor alum Rylan hit out on X: “Also before people start going for appearance, Tulisa has been through a lot health wise the last few years so let’s not make s**t jokes about her on twitter yeah x.”
A second hit out at the trolling: “The bullying on x about Tulisa with fillers not knowing she suffers from Bell Palsy which affects one side of the face and muscles. Instead of educating people instantly jump to criticise… #ImACeleb.”
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Elsewhere, a third agreed: “The people who are worried about tulisa’s appearance are weird as f***.
“She’s a grown adult & if she wants to have work done on herself she can!! whether it’s due to bell’s palsy or just because she wants to. Stop commenting on people’s bodies + appearances!! #ImACeleb.”
Meanwhile, a fourth similarly backed the singer: “Tulisa suffers from Bells Palsy so how about we lay off commenting on her appearance, surgery or not. #ImACeleb.”
And another weighed in: “Not even watching #imaceleb but not that she should explain, Tulisa has benign cysts that have caused a type of Bells Palsy in her face for years, she detailed this in Olivia Atwoods podcast recently. Tbh regardless of this it’s deplorable to start gossiping regardless.” (sic)
