Celebrities

TV star opens up about hidden agony you’d never expect could go this far

Published on June 24, 2025

It’s fair to say Kate Lawler’s confession about her years of suffering will make most of our hearts stop. The 45‑year‑old former Big Brother winner and This Morning favourite battled “the worst pain of my life” without knowing what was behind it.

It all began back in December 2017 when Kate was tormented by relentless abdominal agony so intense she sometimes couldn’t even muster the strength to get out of bed. “The abdominal pain was worse than any pain I’ve ever had. It was crippling – sometimes too unbearable to even get out of bed – and it felt even worse during menstruation and sexual intercourse,” she revealed, describing the torment as “a sharp, stabbing pain that would last from 10 seconds to several hours”

Eventually, while she was on holiday in Greece, the pain spiralled so severely that she was rushed to hospital. Initial scans claimed “everything was fine”, though doctors speculated she might have a hernia. Returning to the UK, Kate was passed from one consultant to another, repeatedly told there was nothing wrong and left feeling as if she was “going mad” as the stabbing pain relentlessly returned .

“In the end I literally felt like I was going to have to live with the pain forever,” she admitted to The Sun. It wasn’t until August 2022 that she was correctly diagnosed with pelvic congestion syndrome—a condition where varicose veins in the pelvis cause chronic, sharp aches and agonizing cramps, especially during sex, menstruation, or after standing or sitting for prolonged periods.

The turning point came when Kate underwent a pelvic vein embolisation: a minimally invasive procedure involving the insertion of coils into the diseased veins under X‑ray guidance. The results have been revelatory. “I can’t explain how much I’ve improved and how I no longer feel crippled by this pain that would strike at any time,” she says, her relief clear .

Since then, Kate’s made it her mission to raise awareness of the condition she fought so hard to find. “No woman should suffer in silence,” she urged, pointing out how easy it is to be brushed off when symptoms start to resemble hormonal trouble .

Indeed, she was only just identifying as perimenopausal in 2023, and admitted the combination of hormonal change and chronic pain left her feeling overwhelmed. Posting an emotional update on Instagram, she said life had been tough: “Only sharing this because the last few days my Insta may have looked like all the fun but in all honesty, the majority of the days over the last week have been a lot” .

Her honesty seems to be doing good. By sharing her own journey from misdiagnosis to treatment, Kate hopes women everywhere might finally be believed sooner. And with between 30–80 per cent of chronic pelvic pain cases attributed to pelvic venous issues, the need for awareness is glaring

Speaking on Loose Women recently, she opened up further about the gruelling ordeal she endured and shared how this “hidden” struggle pushed her to breaking point

There’s real power in Kate’s candour: she’s reminding us that unexplained pain is not something to be quietly borne, nor something to accept as “just hormones”. Where once she feared she’d be trapped in agony for life, she’s now encouraging women to be persistent, demand proper investigations, and seek out treatment options—including embolisation or medication, often under-the-radar but potentially life-changing .

It’s a message that combines hope with a rallying call. Whether you’re facing a long-baffling pain, navigating perimenopause, or supporting someone who is, Kate’s story shines a light on a condition that’s all too often overlooked—and underscores the difference it makes to be truly heard.