Adele Roberts has opened up on starring in the I’m A Celebrity jungle without realising that she had bowel cancer.

The TV and radio personality, 45, was seemingly fit and healthy when she joined the likes of Kate Garraway, Roman Kemp and Caitlyn Jenner on the ITV show back in 2019.

But while she challenged herself with the gruelling Bushtucker Trials and tough camp life, Adele was facing an unknown health battle that would go on to change her life forever.

During her stint on the show, the first symptoms of bowel cancer began to present themselves – though the former Big Brother contestant wasn’t officially diagnosed until 2021.

Speaking to Kate and Adhil Ray on Friday’s Good Morning Britain, Adele recalled struggling with early cancer symptoms in ‘plain sight’ of everyone, with the true extent of her illness going undetected. 

Kate reflected on felling concerned for Adele as she shared: ‘With you I remember, we were all quite worried because you lost a lot of weight. I think the producers were quite worried as well. Even though we were all starving, you did drop weight and actually as it turned out, you were unwell, weren’t you?’

Adele Roberts has opened up on starring in the I’m A Celebrity jungle without realising that she had bowel cancer 

The TV and radio personality, 45, was seemingly fit and healthy when she joined the likes of Kate Garraway, Roman Kemp and Caitlyn Jenner [R] on the ITV show back in 2019

To which Adele replied: ‘I didn’t realise I had bowel cancer and that’s why I make it my mission now to talk about it as much as possible. 

‘Because I was there in plain sight on TV, so many people were watching and didn’t pick up on the symptoms’.

The star then went on to reveal the telltale symptoms she was displaying at the time, remarking: ‘I lost weight rapidly, loss of appeтιтe, I think I’m the only person that went into the jungle and didn’t want to eat the food! I wasn’t hungry. I had a bloated tummy.

‘And it until I came out of the jungle and shortly afterward when I started noticing blood when I went to the toilet and that was the giveaway really.’

Adele, who has been cancer free for two years, went on to say that the challenges she faced in the jungle helped her when it came to facing cancer.

She said: ‘You know you can do hard things. Being away from family, having that time with yourself and knowing the depth of things you can go through.’ 

And the radio star certainly isn’t letting cancer stop her from achieving her goals, with Adele tackling the ‘big six’ marathons across the globe, which comes off the back of her Guinness World Record in which she became the fastest woman to complete the London Marathon with an ileostomy. 

Adele told how she’s taking on the gruelling challenge to raise awareness and to ‘show what’s possible with a stoma.’

During her stint on the show, the first symptoms of bowel cancer began to present themselves – though the former Big Brother contestant wasn’t officially diagnosed until 2021 

Speaking to Kate and Adhil Ray on Friday’s Good Morning Britain , Adele recalled struggling with early cancer symptoms in ‘plain sight’ of everyone, with the true extent of her illness going undetected

‘I didn’t realise I had bowel cancer and that’s why I make it my mission now to talk about it as much as possible. Because I was there in plain sight on TV, so many people were watching and didn’t pick up on the symptoms’

The star then went on to reveal the telltale symptoms she was displaying at the time, remarking: ‘I lost weight rapidly, loss of appeтιтe, I think I’m the only person that went into the jungle and didn’t want to eat the food! I wasn’t hungry. I had a bloated tummy’

However, she admitted that running with a stoma is not without its physical challenges, noting issues could include her bag falling off, having a prolapse and managing her eating and drinking times. 

Adele’s words comes after she revealed last month that she may be forced to undergo surgery after being unable to return her prolapsed stoma into it’s bag, three years after having colostomy surgery following a battle with colon cancer. 

The DJ, who has named the stoma Audrey, shared snaps to Instagram as she visited her nurse and even tried at home remedies in a bid to avoid going under the knife.

Adele was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2021 and documented her treatment on social media, which included colostomy surgery to remove a bowel tumour and having a stoma bag fitted. 

She revealed she’d spent days laying down in a bid to rectify the problem as well as using ice and sugar, which is said to work by drawing out fluid from the swollen stoma and helping to reduce the size.

Writing: ‘Lean back, Spent the last few days horizontal. Somewhere between Sunday night and Monday morning, Audrey escaped from her bag… and she will not go back in’. 

Adele, who has been cancer free for two years, went on to say that the challenges she faced in the jungle helped her when it came to facing cancer

Read More Adele Roberts reveals life with stoma bag with Bryony Gordon on new Life of Bryony podcast

‘She’s MᴀssIVE – like the hulk. No amount of sweet talk, sugar or ice (all actual legit methods of helping) are working’.

‘This is the second time my stoma has prolapsed but it’s never been for this long. I’m so worried about her. I’m keeping everything crossed that we can get her back in and save her. I feel like she’s a whale that’s accidentally washed up on the beach. We need to get her back in the sea’

‘Once again the whole @nhs team and my wonderful stoma nurse Elaine has been NEXT LEVEL. She’s gone above and beyond. Just one more go at getting the Audster back in… or otherwise she’s at risk of surgery’.

She continued: ‘One of the options involves chopping her cheeky little head off – and starting again… and I doubt she wants that’

Adele’s words comes after she revealed last month that she may be forced to undergo surgery after being unable to return her prolapsed stoma into it’s bag, three years after having colostomy surgery following a battle with colon cancer 

The DJ who has named the stoma Audrey, shared snaps to Instagram as she visited her nurse and even tried at home remedies in a bid to avoid going under the knife

Adele was first diagnosed with bowel cancer in October 2021 and documented her treatment on social media, which included colostomy surgery to remove a bowel tumour and having a stoma bag fitted

She revealed she’d been  ice and sugar, which is said to work by drawing out fluid from the swollen stoma and helping to reduce the size

‘I’m gutted, I’m so worried about her. Shes struggling a lot. Praying for a speedy recovery… plus we’ve kinda got a ‘6 star world marathon challenge’ to do… and the next marathon is next week. PLEASE BEHAVE AUDREY!! Why are you doing this?!’.

‘Fingers crossed we can make it to Chicago… run, walk or crawl… we’ll give it our best sH๏τ – we’re so grateful to everyone who has supported or donated to us so far… and if it’s safe to do so… we’ll complete it…’ 

‘No matter how long it takes. I’m so inspired by so many of the incredible people in the running community and the charities I’m raising money for (@cr_uk & @atтιтudemag Foundation). In the words of the incredible bowel babe – ‘rebellious hope”‘

‘Thank you to everyone who’s been so kind and sending messages of support. You’re keeping up our spirits (Kate too) and getting us through’.

What is a stoma?  

A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of urine and faeces.

According to the NHS, this procedure may be needed if you cannot pᴀss stools through your anus, which could be the result of an illness, injury or problem with your digestive system. 

In the UK, it is estimated that one in 335 people have had the surgery. 

The procedure can be part treatment for a number of illnesses, including cancer, diverticulitis, Crohn’s disease or any trauma to the abdomen.

The stoma will generally be ‘pink and most – like the inside of our mouths’. After the surgery, it will be swollen, but this will reduce in six to eight weeks.

There is no sensation to touching a stoma – as there are no nerves – but different people will have theirs in a different size or shape. 

It is also possible to have a temporary stoma, which could later be reversed, if the diseased or damaged area in the bowel needs to heal over time. 

A stoma is a surgically-created opening made on the abdomen, which is made to divert the flow of urine and faeces. Stock image used

TYPES OF STOMA

COLOSTOMY

This refers to an opening in the colon – the large intestine. During the operation, a part of the colon will be brought from inside the body through their abdomen. The output from this ‘often resembles a traditional stool’ and functions around one to three times a day.

ILEOSTOMY

For this procedure, the surgeon will bring a part of the small intestine – the ileum specifically – from inside the patient’s body and bring it through the abdomen, sтιтching it down to secure it. The output for an ileostomy is looser than that of a colostomy. An ileostomy bag – which enables drainage into the toilet between three to six times a day’ – is also worn.

UROSTOMY

A urostomy refers to an opening for a person’s urine specifically. For this, the surgeon will take a piece of someone’s small intestine and attach it to the ureters. This will ‘form a pᴀssageway for urine to pᴀss through’. For this, one of the tube is brought out through the abdomen. A urostomy bag will also have a ‘bung or tap on the bottom to allow urine to be drained at regular intervals into the toilet’.

Source: Colostomy UK, NHS