Eamonn Holmes has shared a photo of his painful swollen face while opening up about battling shingles for Shingles Awareness Week.
Taking to both Instagram and Twitter to talk about the cause with his followers, the former ITV This Morning presenter, who now hosts on GB News, posted a photo of his face looking puffy and red.
He wrote alongside the snap: "Having had shingles, I know how painful and exhausting it can be. That's why I am supporting #ShinglesAwarenessWeek with @GSK and @IntFedAgeing.
"To find out more about the condition, speak to your pharmacist, nurse or doctor or visit understandingshingles.co.uk. Funded by GSK."
Fans and followers of the TV presenter took to the comments section on Instagram to share their own stories, with one person writing: "It is horrid - I had ophthalmic shingles (in the eye) which turned into viral meningitis so take your symptoms seriously folks!"
Another then said: "Had shingles all round my back and stomach and across my chest. Didn't realise the awful symptoms that came with shingles, I always thought it was just a rash."
A third fan then added: "My niece has suffered with this extremely painful condition too so I fully understand just how bad this gets."
John Barrowman even commented below, urging people to get the vaccine if they're eligible: " I’m with you on this @eamonnholmes Talk to your GP about the shingles vaccination."
Some fans misunderstood the post and thought that the Irish host was suffering from the condition now, but he actually had it back in 2018.
Fans may remember that at the time he had to pull out of hosting This Morning because of the condition, before later revealing that he was suffering from the virus.
Taking to Instagram he told his followers: "I know I look as though I've been in a scrap but honestly I haven't.
“It's worse than that - it's Shingles.”
For those unaware, shingles is painful rash caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox (varicella zoster) virus.
Opening up to us in an exclusive interview last autumn, Eamonn told The Mirror about his ordeal with the rash, recalling: “It was like waking up in a horror movie.
“When I called my doctor and said it was on my face the first question was, ‘Is it near your eyes? Don’t touch your eyes because it could affect your vision – you could go blind. Get down here to let me see it’. It was panic stations.”
He later added: "It was incredibly painful and exhausting, and I had to take time off work to recuperate. I couldn’t have gone on telly like that. There isn’t a camera filter in the world that could have made me look better."
Still suffering from the after effects three years on, Eamonn told us last October that he still had to have physio almost every day, and needed to push himself in order to push through it.
Understanding Shingles is a new campaign supported by Eamonn Holmes together with GSK and the Shingles Support Society. For more information visit understandingshingles.co.uk
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