This Morning stars Rylan Clark and Dermot O’Leary furiously defended their friend Tulisa during an I’m A Celeb segment on Friday.

The ITV duo hit back at trolls after the N-Dubz star, 36, was mocked for her changing appearance, as they demanded the public ‘stop going for people’s looks’.

Singing her praises, Rylan, 36, who first became pals with Tulisa back in 2012 on the X Factor, gushed: ‘She’s such a sweet girl and Derm, you know her like I do, she’s a really really sweet girl.

‘Listen – if she wants to do anything to her face or body that’s entirely up to her. She’s in a position to do that and if she wants to, good luck to her.’

He explained: ‘But actually, if you look at a lot of the reasonings why she’s done that.

‘That does come down to a lot of medical issues that she’s had privately that she’s now been a bit more public about.’

This Morning stars Rylan Clark and Dermot O’Leary furiously defended their friend Tulisa during an I’m A Celeb segment on Friday

The ITV duo hit back at trolls after the N-Dubz star was mocked for her changing appearance, as they demanded the public ‘stop going for people’s looks’

Singing her praises, Rylan, who first became pals with Tulisa back in 2012 on the X Factor , gushed: ‘She’s such a sweet girl and Derm, you know her like I do, she’s a really really sweet girl’

The TV presenter fired: ‘But you know, listen, if you don’t like someone’s singing, if you don’t like someone’s presenting then have your say – but let’s just stop going for people’s looks, especially when they’ve been off-grid for the past however many years.

‘This is a big step for her to make that comeback into public life and I’m so glad that everyone’s seeing that she’s just decent, she’s lovely, and she’s just getting on with everyone, which is T down to a T.’

He continued:’T’s been through so much professionally, personally, especially over the last 10 years and she’s pretty much shied away from public life so for her to go on the show was such a big thing in itself.

‘I’m so proud of her that she’s gone on the show and I’m so proud that she’s showing everyone that she’s just a decent girl who we all know and love.

‘We were close on X Factor through some circumstances that happened on the show and yeah for last 12 years she’s always been the most decent of girls and she’s had a hard time with it as well.’

Jumping in, Dermot quipped:  ‘Do you know what Rylan? I was just thinking exactly the same thing and when she was going in I was so happy because you know that she’s such a good egg. She’s such a good person.

‘And the whole kind of ‘female boss’ thing – she’s had to be that strong since she’s been a kid and like you said she’s kind of shied away a little bit from public life and she’s a great singer.

‘It’s so great to have her back now and just doing herself justice. She’s been through an awful lot hasn’t she.’

Rylan responded: ‘On a personal level she’s been some through some health problems quite recently and a lot of people were attacking her when she went in for image and that but you know – settle that down.’

Rylan said: ‘I’m so proud of her that she’s gone on the show and I’m so proud that she’s showing everyone that she’s just a decent girl who we all know and love’ (pictured in 2018)

 Jumping in, Dermot quipped: ‘Do you know what Rylan? I was just thinking exactly the same thing and when she was going in I was so happy’ (pictured in 2012)

Rylan fired: ‘But you know, listen, if you don’t like someone’s singing, if you don’t like someone’s presenting then have your say – but let’s just stop going for people’s looks’

Dermot added: ‘It’s so great to have her back now and just doing herself justice. She’s been through an awful lot hasn’t she’

Read More Can YOU tell who these I’m A Celeb family members are?

Speaking to MailOnline, Rylan revealed that Tulisa has ‘been there for him since X Factor’ and he ‘will always defend her’.

He said some of Tulisa’s procedures were done for medical reasons and those targeting her online are ‘disgusting’.

He told MailOnline: ‘T is a really good friend of mine and she has very much been there for me since X Factor and vice versa.

‘And she’s been through a hell of a lot over the past few years, medically wise, that I know has been well documented.’

He continued: ‘She spoke about it on Olivia Attwood’s podcast, which I was glad she spoke about. So to hear people be like, ” why has she done this to her face, why has she done that”.

‘I just feel like saying, ”what has it got to do with you for a start and second of all, actually some of the things she’s done to her face is is medical reasons, so none of your business at the end of the day”.

‘I’ll always defend my mates and I don’t care what people say about me. I get more annoyed that people say about people I love. Everyone’s always got an opinion and that’s fine.

‘People can say what they want, but don’t go for someone for a medical issue. I think that’s disgusting.’

Rylan then went on to say that he thinks it’s fine for people to have opinions on changes they make for cosmetic reasons.

Rylan told MailOnline: ‘People can say what they want, but don’t go for someone for a medical issue. I think that’s disgusting’

Rylan previously took to X to hit out at the trolls 

The singer was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 2020 – a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face when the facial nerve is damaged or stops working properly (right in 2008)

He revealed that he thought it was ‘fine’ when he faced the brunt of social media after he got his teeth done.

But he said people need to ‘leave it out’ when it comes to medical reasons, as she recently opened up about a health battle that left her in ‘horrific’ pain and fearing for her face.

The singer was diagnosed with Bell’s palsy in 2020 – a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face when the facial nerve is damaged or stops working properly.

Yet she soon became locked in a vicious cycle of having filler to even out her appearance and her face becoming inflamed and swollen.

Speaking on Olivia Attwood’s podcast So Wrong It’s Right this month, Tulisa admitted the problems were particularly bad around the time she reformed with the trio in 2022, ending their 11-year hiatus from the music scene with a new tour and single release.

A doctor soon got to the cause after performing an ultrasound on her face, finding ‘three chronically infected cysts’ in her cheek, one of which popped during an ‘explorative operation’ due to being so bulbous.

Tulisa shared: ‘I’ve no idea what they were caused by, they weren’t filler, they were just self-occurring, but I came out of the operation and instantly my face was less swollen.

She added that after having her first Bell’s palsy attack aged 24, she attempted to use fillers to ‘balance out’ her face, causing her to be locked in a ‘vicious cycle.’

Two years pᴀssed, and the condition was kept at bay, but she started to feel a ‘low-level swelling’ in the same cheek, which rapidly increased.

WHAT IS BELL’S PALSY?

Bell’s palsy is temporary weakness or lack of movement that usually affects 1 side of the face. Treatment with steroids can help and most people get better within 6 months.

Symptoms of Bell’s palsy include:

Weakness on 1 side of your face, or not being able to move 1 side of your face – this usually happens over a few days a drooping eyelid or corner of your mouthdrooling a dry mouth loss of taste a dry or watering eye

You may also find it difficult to close the eye on the weak side of your face. Rarely, you may not be able to move both sides of your face.