I’m A Celebrity’s Maura Higgins made her jungle debut on the ITV show last night as she entered junkyard camp along with second new arrival Reverend Richard Coles.
The Irish star, 33, who rose to fame after appearing on Love Island in 2019, is known for her fiery personality, witty sense of humour and ‘potty mouth’ language.
Never one to hold back on her thoughts, she is expected to shake things up in the jungle, having already deceived the majority of her fellow campers in a brutal challenge on last night’s episode which saw Loose Women’s Jane Moore offer up her bed to her.
However, what many don’t know about Maura is her terrifying health scare she endured just a few years ago which almost killed her.
Prior to her jungle debut, Maura revealed her near-fatal encounter with toxic shock syndrome (TSS) as she issued a serious warning to young girls over the use of tampons.
Appearing on Shopping with Keith Lemon in 2022, Maura revealed she had accidentally left a tampon inside her body for three months which was only discovered by doctors once she became ‘very ill’.
According to the NHS, toxic shock syndrome is a life-threatening bacterial infection which requires immediate medical attention.
It occurs when usually harmless staphylococcus aureus or streptococcus bacteria, which live on the skin, invade the bloodstream and release dangerous toxins.
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Sharing her story in the hope of raising awareness of the dangers to other women, she explained: “I did have a very bad experience. I’m not a doctor, I don’t know much about that [TSS], but I know you are not meant to leave a tampon inside for more than, I think it’s nine hours, I think that’s the max.
“There was a tampon inside me for three months. When the doctor found it, it was stuck to my cervix. And I was so ill. I did not know what was going on….
“‘There were people that have died from that happening. Young girls might not have noticed, like you go on a night out, what if you got really drunk and forgot, like, these things actually do happen, and people don’t speak about it.”
Maura emphasised the importance of discussing the topic as she said there should be no shame in periods.
She recounted: “I remember even being in school, I used to get my tampon out the bag, push it up my sleeve and then go to the toilet like that… thinking back, why was I doing that?
“It’s nothing to be ashamed about, that’s why I think it’s an important topic isn’t it?”
Women are most at risk of getting toxic shock syndrome during menstruation – particularly if they are using tampons, if they have recently given birth or are using an internal barrier contraceptive, such as a diaphragm.
Symptoms of toxic shock can include a high temperature, muscle aches, a raised skin rash that feels like sandpaper and flu-like symptoms.
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