Rumoured I’m A Celebrity star Maura Higgins has shared an important health warning ahead of reportedly heading into the jungle.
The Love Island legend, 33, is said to be joining the likes of Coleen Rooney, Tulisa and Oti Mabuse on Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly’s reality programme.
Ahead of supposedly jetting off Down Under for a few weeks, Maura has shared a message to her followers after her own GP appointment.
Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, she shared a picture of a medical bed and equipment, writing: ‘Smear test day!!!
‘This is your important reminder to get yours.’
People over the age of 25 receive letters from the NHS encouraging you to have your cervical ‘smear’ screening to prevent cervical cancer.
Maura has previously spoken about her smear tests before, encouraging her followers to get checked after backing the #EndSmearFear campaign in 2019 which was launched to combat the stigma around tests.
You, me & HPV
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By and large HPV isn’t something to worry about – but it is something to be aware of.
HPV is something that eight in 10 of us will encounter at some stage of our lives. It’s spread through skin-to-skin contact, not just penetrative sex. There is even some evidence to suggest it can spread through deep kissing.
It isn’t tested for in a standard sexual health screening, so it’s near impossible to know when or where a person might have contracted it or who they might have passed it onto.
For most people, their bodies will fight the virus off in around one to two years without any lasting effects. For some people however, it can make them more vulnerable to cancers of the cervix, anus, head and neck, penis, vagina and vulva.
Over this week, we’ll be exploring the human issues that come with HPV and its related cancers.
For more health information, please visit Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, The Eve Appeal, the No Man campaign and The Anal Cancer Foundation.
She also spoke about being tested and having an ultrasound after she was left very unwell and bedbound in 2022, later discovering she had ‘severe inflammation around her bladder’.
She said at the time, according to The Sun: ‘Thanks for all of your lovely messages! A lot of you want a Q&A on what’s going on with me but I can’t do a Q&A because I’m as much in the dark as you guys, this is why I’m getting tests done.
‘However, we did figure something out today – I’ve got severe inflammation around my bladder and we don’t know why.
‘I have to get more tests done but it’s very strange.
‘I actually went in for an ultrasound today, that was the appointment, and he was doing an internal check and afterwards I said, “That kind of felt like a smear test”.
‘And he was like, “It was”. And I didn’t even know he was doing a smear test!’
Stressing the importance of smear tests, she went on: ‘These doctors and gynaecologists see hundreds of vaginas every single day.
‘Don’t be scared, don’t be uncomfortable, it’s so so important. They’re used to it, it’s their job.’
Maura is now reported to be heading into the jungle, following in the footsteps of the likes of Sam Thompson and Josie Gibson.
It’s also been claimed the Dancing On Ice star could be set for an awkward reunion when she enters the camp, as she’ll be joined by boxing legend Barry McGuigan according to the leaked line-up, whose son Shane she dated several years back.
She went on to date the likes of Strictly Come Dancing pro Giovanni Pernice, and split from stunt performer Bobby Holland Hanton earlier this year.
It’s now been rumoured that she’s in a relationship with Towie’s Pete Wicks, after the pair were spotted smooching in London.
Maura has reportedly been lined-up for the jungle after Tommy Fury ‘pulled out of appearing on the series’.
An insider said: ‘With Tommy Fury pulling out, it gave show bosses the opportunity to look at other Love Island stars, and Maura stood out as the perfect candidate.
‘She’ll bring a bit of glamour to the jungle and make a brilliant campmate because she’s got a great sense of humour and is bound to get on with everyone.’
Bosses are also said to be counting on her spilling the tea about her close friendship with Molly-Mae Hague, who shockingly split from Tommy earlier this year.
In a statement to Metro, an ITV spokesperson previously said: ‘Any names suggested for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! are just speculation.’
