Celia Imrie has revealed the health battle that has stopped the actress from flying. The Celebrity Traitors star discussed the health battle in Saga Magazine’s October issue.
Her Celebrity Traitors exit angered viewers after Alan Carr murdered her during one of the show’s missions. The BBC show’s audience had warmly embraced the veteran actress during her run.
Celia Imrie reveals secret health battle
Celia said she was first admitted to hospital with blood clots on her lungs in 2005. She later experienced a second pulmonary embolism and now uses ships or trains for her journeys.
The 74-year-old made clear that this was a practical response to her medical history. Explaining the decision, Celia said: “I don’t fly because I had two pulmonary embolisms.”
She rejected any suggestion that the decision was an affectation. Nor, she added, was she preaching to other travellers about their choices.
She said people often do not believe the explanation when she tells them. Instead, Celia continues to plan her journeys around ships and trains.
Celia’s illness took a physical and mental toll
The condition had major consequences beyond her travel plans. Celia said it left her unable to work and struggling with her mental health.
She compared her life to snakes and ladders, with setbacks arriving when she least expected them. In her analogy, this illness represented one of the snakes.
“The illness did lay me flat for a bit,” she said. Celia said her body also endured an aftershock, leaving her feeling as though she was on the floor.
Those bodily effects were difficult for her to explain.
Nice helped Celia rebuild
Her next turning point arrived in France. During a trip to Nice, Celia went out for a baguette and ended up buying an apartment.
“Yes the paradise of Nice did save my life actually,” she said. Celia credited the city’s beauty with giving her the lift needed to begin rebuilding.
She believed personal effort mattered, while Nice gave her the push to pick herself up.
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