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Former EastEnders star Melissa Suffield, who played Lucy Beale on the BBC soap from from 2004 to 2010, has shared details of a health issue she faced that made her lose weight – and her confidence

Former EastEnders star Melissa Carter has opened up about her struggles and non-acceptance of living with a health condition. The 33-year-old former actress is best known for playing Lucy Beale on the BBC soap from from 2004 to 2010.

Since quitting the soap – and acting in general – the mum-of-one has reinvented herself as a self-help and health guru. Rebranded as The Confident Mama, the TV star encourages fans and followers to love their bodies.

Along the way, Melissa – who acted under the name Melissa Suffield – has revealed she was diagnosed in 2023 with a condition called Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO). The condition is caused when too many bacteria move from the large intestine to the small intestine, causing discomfort, bloating, diarrhoea, gas, and nutrient malabsorption.

 

This month, Melissa marked her two year anniversary of being diagnosed on the condition – and acknowledged that she does wonder what she did wrong that provoked the health issue to form. Writing in a post on Instagram, she wrote: “Today is a tough day. This day 2 years ago, me and River got sick with whatever the infection was that gave me SIBO. From the next day onwards, I was symptomatic, and I have basically been unwell ever since.

“I replay that day in my head so often. What if we hadn’t gone on the train that day. What if we hadn’t eaten out. What if we had stayed home. How different would my life look right now. I wouldn’t have lost over 3 stone against my will. I wouldn’t have spent over £20,000 searching for answers and the magic remedy that would make me feel better. I wouldn’t have been more lonely, more anxious than I’ve ever been before. I wouldn’t be worried about travelling more than a mile from my home. The very core of who I am as a person wouldn’t have been altered.”

Pivoting to a more positive outlook, she continued: “I don’t like to dwell on the past in this way because it really isn’t helpful, but on days like today, crap anniversaries, it’s really hard not to. So I’ll try and reframe it.”

She explained: “Without getting SIBO, I wouldn’t have learned so much about the digestive system, medicine, and nutrition. I wouldn’t have been able to help literally hundreds of you who tell me you got your SIBO diagnosis soley from learning about it through my content. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to band the drum and raise awareness for the many people out there who suffer with very little guidance. I wouldn’t have learned just how strong I can be.”

The EastEnders alum rounded off her post, writing defiantly: “So ultimately, as much as I with this hadn’t happened to me, you bet your ass I’m going to use it as a force for good.” SIBO is described by the NHS as a common condition, caused by “the presence of excessive numbers of bacteria in the small bowel causing gastrointestinal symptoms.” The condition can also be controlled through medicine.

Melissa has built a large following online by celebrating the human body and encouraging others to love themselves. And she has been deeply personal about her own issues and regrets about her own image.

In a recent post, she shared a string of photographs showing herself in a bikini while positioned in a way that “rolls” formed on her body.

The star – who is married to cruise director Robert Brendan with whom she shares a son named River – wrote: : “One of my biggest regrets is asking Robert to delete photos of me with River when he was little, because I didn’t like how I looked. Family days out. Holidays. Big moments. Photos of everyone else, like I was never there.

“It sucks to look back and not see yourself. So take it from me. This Christmas, be in the picture. Even if your jumper feels tight. Even if you ate more than you planned. Even if auntie Karen made an unhelpful comment (I feel like we all know an auntie Karen, don’t we?) Because one day, those photos won’t be about how you looked, they’ll be about who was there”

She urged her followers: “Be part of the memory. Let yourself have the joy you deserve. Remember these times when you’re old. Leave something for your loved ones to look back at after you’re gone.”

Her post struck a chord with fans – with many responding with positive messages of their own. One typed: “Thank you for showing the world not to be embarrassed by your body no-one knows what we go through and your body is a beautiful thing so embrace it.” And another commented: “And the best part is the natural, real photos are the most beautiful!”