Big Brother's Chanelle Hayes reveals health struggle after gastric band surgery

Big Brother star Chanelle Hayes revealed her struggle with 'dumping syndrome' after undergoing gastric band surgery five years ago. The surgery involves placing an adjustable band around the upper part of the stomach, which restricts the amount of food the person can consume.

Chanelle featured on Big Brother in 2007, and shortly after leaving, in the height of her fame, she weighed just 8.5 stone. Fast-forward to 2020, where she underwent a secret gastric sleeve operation after she reached 17 stone. In a new interview, Chanelle revealed the side effects of overeating after getting a gastric band fitted.

She said the surgery created a 'physical barrier' to stop her from overeating but the star has been left scared after falling into old habits, which triggered 'dumping syndrome'.

READ MORE: 71-year-old 'looks forward' to anti-ageing treatment that's like a '£221 spa facial'

Dumping syndrome describes a range of symptoms that happen when food is emptied too quickly from the stomach into the small intestine. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, palpitations, bloating, cramping, dizziness, fatigue, and diarrhoea.

"This physical barrier stops me from eating. I physically cannot, if I eat more than the capacity of my stomach I will vomit, if I eat things that are too bad for me then I could end up with dumping syndrome, diarrhoea, vomiting, sweats, it forces you to stay on the straight and narrow," she explained.

"Don't get me wrong, I will still reach for a chocolate bar or milkshake or a slice of pizza, but I'll have more than what my stomach can fit in, and it does not end well."

She went on to tell MailOnline of her emetophobia, a phobia of vomiting, admitting it "terrorises" her.

The reality star has been open about her battles with weight in the pastand admitted that she once barely ate anything to chive a ‘WAG’ body.

She previously opened up about her decision to undergo the surgery and insisted it was a "last resort" after many years of struggling with herfluctuating weight and being unhappy.

After the surgery at Burcot Hall Hospital in Worcestershire, the TV star dropped from a size 18 to a size 8 and shared photos of her weight loss last year.

Chanelle said her operation ‘changed’ her life and she has ‘no regrets’. Advocating for body positivity, she previously shared a video of herself wearing bikinis over the years and wrote: “What even is a summer body anyway?! I had a lovely time on every single one of these holidays and I ranged from size 6-18 (to pregnant!).”

She added: “I've chosen all blue bikinis because sometimes our body image makes us feel blue. I wish I could tell my younger self to just enjoy every single moment because it's the memories that counts. Not the bikini size.”

Follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Threads.

READ MORE: 'I tried a new gadget from This Morning cleaning expert and the results blew me away'