A Place In The Sun presenter Laura Hamilton has revealed she has a health condition that she takes pains to hide from viewers on TV.
The 44-year-old suffers from immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), an autoimmune disorder where the body mistakenly attacks and destroys its own platelets, leading to a low platelet count and a higher risk of bruising or bleeding.
The Channel 4 property expert said she has to be “mindful” about overexerting herself physically, as it can trigger a flare-up.
“I have low platelet count in my blood, and it just means that I bruise a bit more easily than probably other people normally would,” she told The Daily Express.
“I don't have it like so bad that I'm on any medication for it, I'm just mindful that if I ever get stressed, or like if I'm doing loads of physical stuff, like particularly hardcore decorating."
Hamilton said she takes inspiration from her mother Lynn, who has rheumatoid arthritis.
"I've watched her never like let it [get to her]. She's just very full of life and carries on and I think there's a lot of people out there with a lot worse things," she revealed.
Hamilton told the outlet she currently has bruises on her legs and admitted she will sometimes wear more modest clothing onscreen to cover them up.
"I'm just mindful that I might end up with bruises, and sometimes I'll wear longer dresses on A Place In The Sun because I don't want people to think, 'Oh my God, what's happened to her legs?'" she said.
It comes after Hamilton, who is currently filming new episodes of A Place In The Sun, shared her “heartbreak” after witnessing a teenage boy die on a beach.
The presenter became emotional as she recounted seeing a 19-year-old pass away and said it was a “reminder of just how precious and fragile life is”.
“I got about three hours sleep last night and I think it's because of what I saw on the beach yesterday,” she said in an Instagram video.
The mother-of-two - who battled a fire at her home in 2022 - explained that she had wrapped up filming when she noticed a “commotion”.
"I headed to the beach and when I arrived there was a lot of commotion, didn't really know what was going on. It turns out, there was a fatality, and it was, kind of a crazy thing to see,” she said.
Hamilton went on: “I thought the individual was older than they were, and it actually turned out it was a 19-year-old boy. They tried to resuscitate him, but they couldn't, and sadly he passed away."
The Channel 4 host shared an urgent warning with families heading to the beach this summer.
"Just be really, really mindful when you're in the sea of currents," she begged. "If you're letting your children, even as a grown-up, if you're going into the sea, just be careful.
"Life is short. You don't know what's around the corner, so make sure you appreciate the people in your life because nobody knows what tomorrow holds."
Hamilton has been a part of A Place In The Since 2012 and also has her own YouTube property channel.
