Melanie Sykes has issued a deeply personal health update as she continues to battle a debilitating autoimmune condition — reassuring supporters that she is “healing” and urging fans not to worry about her.
The presenter, 55, first spoke publicly about her health struggles in April, revealing she is suffering from alopecia and heart problems brought on by extreme stress. Last week, she made another raw admission, telling followers she has been “in so much pain” and is now “two-thirds bald” as a result of the illness, which has also triggered widespread inflammation throughout her body.
Despite the severity of her condition, Sykes struck a calm and defiant tone while updating fans on Instagram on Wednesday.
“Life is so good, and I know it because I’m right here right now and there’s nothing to fear,” she wrote. “There is nothing to fear.
“The more I tune into faith, and believing that all is well — because it is, because I’m experiencing it — the more I know that it’ll only get better.”
Alongside her message, Sykes shared a reflective update explaining that while she has chosen to be open about her diagnosis, she does not want it to define every conversation in her life.
“It’s not like I’m hiding it,” she said. “I’d just rather have conversation about something else because I’ve got that down and I’m healing myself.”
She then gently turned the focus back to her followers, urging them to prioritise their own wellbeing.
“Worry about yourselves, if anything,” she explained. “And I don’t even mean worry — I just mean attend to your own spiritual garden, yourself, your body, your mind, your creative spirit.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got me. I’ve always got me. I’ve learned to really take care of myself in the last two years.”
Her comments followed a video shared on Sunday, in which the TV presenter appeared wrapped in layers — wearing a jumper, jacket, scarf and hat — as she spoke candidly about ongoing inflammation and hair loss.
“I’m not well, as you know,” she told followers. “I’ve been ill all year. I’ve got an autoimmune condition. I am losing my hair. I keep having crazy inflammation all over, and I am working on healing.”
Sykes revealed she has embraced what she described as a “very, very spiritual existence,” encouraging others to explore meditation and mindfulness.
“In the last three months, I’ve done a meditation teacher training course,” she said. “I was too ill to finish it — literally the last two days I couldn’t do. I don’t necessarily want to teach, but I can do.
“Mostly, I’ve been living a very, very, very spiritual existence.”
Alongside the clip, she added: “It’s been a while 
I have ignited my YouTube channel again after a long period of learning, meditating and healing (this is ongoing). Remember I love you always.”
Back in April, Sykes first revealed the extent of her health struggles after sharing an image on Instagram that showed a bald patch on the side of her head. At the time, she attributed the hair loss to “PTSD, shock, mistreatment and malpractice.”
In a separate video posted to her YouTube channel, she went on to explain that both her alopecia and irregular heartbeat were linked to prolonged stress — stress she said was triggered by allegations involving her former ITV colleague, Gino D’Acampo.
The celebrity chef has been accused of inappropriate and intimidating behaviour spanning more than a decade, allegations he has strongly denied. Sykes, who previously worked with him on ITV’s Let’s Do Lunch, said the news had a profound impact on her health.
Recalling the night the allegations became public, she said: “I didn’t sleep a wink. I remember thinking — if I can’t sleep because it has brought everything back to me, how the f*** is he feeling?
“I actually felt sorry for him.”
She added: “What he has said and done — and alleged to have said and done — it’s so heinous. He must feel like s*** about himself, unless he’s a complete narcissist. Who knows? I’m not a psychotherapist. But I’ve experienced him.”
Sykes has previously spoken openly about misogyny within the television industry, revealing she stepped away from TV altogether in 2021 following an inappropriate remark from former MasterChef judge Gregg Wallace.
Alopecia is an autoimmune condition characterised by sudden and often unpredictable hair loss. It is frequently triggered by stress, trauma or immune responses. While the condition can be distressing, treatment and management options can support recovery and regrowth.
As she continues her healing journey, Sykes has made it clear she wants her story to inspire calm — not concern.
