Made In Chelsea's Louise Thompson has revealed she has now been fitted with a stoma bag, bravely opening up about the 'lifesaving' surgery.
34 year old Louise – who rose to fame on E4's MIC back in 2011 – revealed to fans in an Instagram post that she had recently been fitted with a stoma bag. The procedure, which includes removing part of the colon and creating a surgical opening in the abdomen for waste to exit, comes six years after she was diagnosed with the chronic bowel condition ulcerative colitis.
Sharing a video with her 1.4 million followers, Louise explained that the operation 'may well have saved [my] life.'
Describing the situation as ‘not exactly a glamorous announcement but not something I want to have to keep hidden forever,’ she wrote, 'It’s not exactly like a big pregnancy or gender reveal announcement! Hey look, I’m having a boy… Hey look, I’ve got a stoma!’
‘So I guess I’ll just stand here. Proud in stature. With my new friend Le bum bag that represents life. And hopefully a better one.’
She added, ‘Isn’t it bizarre that this little grey pouch is the price I pay for good health! I say good riddance to that nasty menacing colon!’ Louise then signed off her post by urging fans to 'Please be kind.'
Within hours of the upload, the post was flooded with supportive messages from Louise's friends and family. Zara McDermott – the girlfriend of Louise’s brother Sam Thompson – wrote, ‘When you think about it, it’s a beautiful thing because it means less time in hospital, less pain, less time with a poison organ in your body! Now you are free, my girl. Now it’s time for you.’
Louise's fiancé Ryan Libbey also reshared the post, writing, 'This breaks my heart, whilst filling it with love. This woman is so much tougher than I am - what an inspiration.'
And fellow stoma users were quick to thank Louise for using her platform to raise vital awareness over the realities of living with an ostomy.
One wrote, ‘I’ve spent the past few years trying to normalise having an ostomy, but for someone with your platform to be brave enough to share it is incredible and will help so many people.’ Another added, ‘I’m waiting for an appointment with a surgeon to discuss total colectomy. Thank you for sharing this. It makes me feel a little more normal and a little less alone.’
Although no woman should ever feel the need to reveal her personal health issues, it's undeniable that Louise's candid post has already made leaps in breaking down the stigma of living with a stoma. For thousands around the UK, that small bag is the key to living their happiest and healthiest life.
Having faced a tough health battle in recent years, Louise has often brought fans along the way as she navigates her day to day life. The star suffers from both ulcerative colitis and the autoimmune disease Lupus, as well as being diagnosed with PTSD following the traumatic birth of her son Leo in 2021.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic bowel condition, in which the colon and rectum become inflamed and ulcerated. The UK Crohn’s & Colitis UK Charity reports at least 1 in every 227 people in the UK are diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, with it most commonly affecting those aged between 15 and 25. The condition has no cure, however it can be effectively managed in time – with stoma bags one option for sufferers.
Back in February, Louise revealed that was losing 'cupfuls' of blood every 20 minutes after suffering from a flare up while on holiday in Antigua. Cutting short her family getaway to fly back to the UK, the star was rushed to hospital for a two week stay.
At the time, Louise said that her body was ‘surviving, masking and compensating,’ with her close friends and family being the ones to raise the alarm. She explained, ‘I couldn’t cope anymore. Nothing was getting better on its own. Way beyond the point of self-healing, wellness, eating right.’
Louise first rose to fame in series one of MIC, becoming one of the show’s main characters. Her partner Ryan Libbey joined the cast in 2016, with Louise leaving the show alongside Ryan and her brother Sam in 2018. The couple got engaged that same year, before welcoming their son Leo in 2021.
Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.