Josie Gibson has revealed she is suffering from a medieval disease after filming a new travel show where she sampled first class cabins.
After filming Channel 5 travelogue Around The World In First Class, the presenter, 40, went for a health MOT ahead of her next TV challenge The 1970s Diet, where she was told she had gout.
Gout is a type of arthritis. It occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood and causes inflammation in the joints.
The TV personality said her toes had been hurting her throughout the show, which is available on 5’s streaming service and sees Josie stay in rooms worth more than $20,000 per night in the likes of the Middle East and the Caribbean, and said: ‘I thought gout was only for old men but I have been living quite a lavish life.
‘Before I filmed this show, I caught a lot of flights, I drank a lot of champagne, I ate a lot of rich food and I had little sleep. That’s how I ended up getting gout.’
Josie had been enjoying the enviable lifestyle of drinking champagne and tucking in to rich food in Michelin-starred restaurants.
Josie Gibson has revealed she contracted medieval disease gout while filming Channel 5 travelogue Around The World In First Class (pictured in a still from the show)
Gout is a type of arthritis. It occurs when uric acid builds up in the blood and causes inflammation in the joints and Josie found out she had it after spending weeks living in luxury
WHAT IS GOUT?
Gout is a form of arthritis that can be extremely painful.
Agonising attacks come on very quickly, often during the night.
It affects around two per cent of people in the UK and 8.3 million in the US.
Gout was once thought to be caused by overeating and drinking excessively, however, that is not the whole story.
The condition occurs due to a build up of uric acid, which can be because a person’s kidneys cannot get rid of the substance quickly enough.
Over time, uric-acid crystals can form in and around the joints, which can trigger severe inflammation that usually settles within a week.
In any day, about three-quarters of the urate in our bodies comes from the breakdown of purines produced within our body, while only about a quarter comes from the breakdown of purines in food and drink we consume.
Foods and drinks high in purines include:
AlcoholRed meat and offalOily fish, such as mackerel and salmonFoods rich in yeast extract, like Marmite and Bovril
As well as pain, symptoms can include joints being:
RedH๏τSwollenShiny
Without treatment, gout attacks can become more frequent, with more joints being affected.
The two most common painkillers used to treat gout are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and colchicine.
You don’t need to face arthritis alone. Our advisors aim to bring all of the information and advice about arthritis into one place to provide tailored support for you.
Call 0800 5200 520 for free today (Monday–Friday, 9am–8pm)
Email us: [email protected]
Source: Versus Arthritis
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Blood tests gave the shock diagnosis, after spending weeks living in luxury.
Gout is often associated with wealthy historical figures, including Henry VIII and Benjamin Franklin, who were known to enjoy alcohol and red meats, both of which are high in purines which cause the illness.
More recently, actor Jared Leto was diagnosed with gout after rapidly gaining more than four stone (26kg) for the role of Mark David Chapman in the film Chapter 27 in 2007.
Josie confirmed she is now gout free after returning to a less lavish diet.
‘As soon as I stopped catching all the flights and started drinking a bit more water and less champagne, it leveled itself out,’ she said.
And her health took a turn in another direction after she took part in the show The 1970s diet and ate boiled potatoes, liver and spam.
‘I’ve come from one extreme to the other,’ Josie added. ‘I went from living my finest life ever to being brought down to earth with a bang.’
She explained that she did not expect the diet to send her weight plummeting and was shocked to hear that just 10 per cent of people in the 70s were obese, compared with triple the amount today.
Despite being restricted to a smaller 70s-style plate, Josie did not hold out much hope for the liver and extensive carbs which filled it.
The show explained that people in that decade were often healthier as, on average, they did more housework and tasks without gadgets, leading to a more active lifestyle.
Ahead of the experiment, Josie underwent a health check-up which revealed she weighed 16 stone (102kg) and had a 48 per cent body fat figure.
The TV personality was pleased with her fitness levels, which were judged to be at a ‘superior’ rating, helped out by the fact Josie works out regularly.
She explained that she is able to ‘run rings’ around friends of hers, even if they are thinner than her.
Josie wheeled her shopping bag to the butchers and bakers for the show, took part in a disco-style exercise class, and even picked out a set of vintage clothes in order to look the part.
Despite heaping praise on the era’s style, the former I’m A Celebrity contestant was dismayed when she realised her modern day clothes sizes did not fit her.
It was explained to Josie that brands these days make their clothes bigger for a given size in a bid to make consumers feel better.
The star has fluctuated between size eight and 22 over the years, but admitted she feels her best when she can fit into size 12-14 clothes.
Josie said that she would not consider taking weight-loss jabs, despite lots of her friends using them.
The star revealed that the experiment taught her a great deal, particularly that her son Reggie, seven, was slightly lazy and often preferred to go to the shops by car.
She also heaped praise on the tight-knit nature of 1970s families, and lifted the lid on her next show which is set to be about biohacking.
Jared Leto was diagnosed with gout after rapidly gaining 60 pounds for the role of Mark David Chapman in the film Chapter 27 in 2007
Blood tests gave the shock diagnosis, after spending weeks living in luxury
The star (pictured, left, in August, and right in 2022) has fluctuated between size eight and 22 over the years, but admitted she feels her best when she can fit into size 12-14 clothes
Josie has been open about her weight in the past and previously admitted she’s ‘never happy with her body’ and would like to ‘lose a bit of timber’.
The This Morning favourite told MailOnline in December that she wanted to get ‘back in the gym so she can enjoy herself at Christmas’ and said her recent weight loss had been down to being busy at work.
Josie has said she’s finally feeling happier. when it comes to her looks
She said: ‘I have literally been so busy. I’ve been here, there and everywhere, I’m working.
‘But I’ve got to fit the gym time in.
‘I’m working up to the 21st, but all next week I’m putting a dedicated time to get that bloody gym and get myself in just so I can lose a little bit of weight to enjoy myself for Christmas.
‘I’ve been, you know, over the years, you put so much stress on yourself – like I’m never happy, never happy.
‘But now I’m just really busy, but I would like to lose a bit of timber, but I’m happy with myself. And that that’s the main thing,
In 2014, she shared that she lost six stone over the course of a year, going from a size 20 to a size eight (pictured: josie in 2013)
Josie previously explained that she used to cry on a regular basis after being trolled over her weight following her Big Brother win in 2010
Read MoreEXCLUSIVE Josie Gibson admits she would like to lose a bit of timber by hitting the gym before Christmas’ 
‘It’s like a home renovation, your body, isn’t it? So I always need a little bit of progress. I always need to paint a room.’
Josie previously revealed that she used to cry on a regular basis after being trolled over her weight following her Big Brother win in 2010.
In 2014, the star shared that she lost six stone (38kg) over the course of a year, going from a size 20 to a size eight.
And in 2023, ahead of her appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, the presenter revealed she’d slimmed down from a size 18 to a 14 after hiring a personal trainer.
