Jade Thirlwall has discovered that she has a relatively rare condition that means she’s unable to burp, revealing that it has “caused issues” throughout her life.
The singer, who was a member of girlband Little Mix before embarking on a successful solo career, revealed that she was diagnosed with Retrograde Cricopharyngeal Dysfunction (also known as R-CPD), in the comments of a TikTok video on the subject.
According to the National Library of Medicine, R-CPD is a condition characterised by the inability to burp, with symptoms including bloating, gurgling and flatulence.
Commenting on a video by content creator Gemma Renwick, who regularly posts about the condition, Thirlwall wrote: “Omg I finally feel so seen and understood.
“It’s always been a fun fact that I can’t burp but it’s caused issues my whole life and I’m sick of people commenting on my weight and body onstage when I’m just bloated af [as f***].”
The 33-year-old added that she would like to get “throtox” – botox treatment targeting the cricopharyngeus muscle to relax the upper esophageal sphincter and let trapped gas escape – but worries that it would impact her vocal chords.
In the video, Renwick reveals that she’s undergone the treatment for her R-CPD and that she’s started a petition wanting greater recognition of the condition within the National Health Service. Thirlwall has also reposted a video of Renwick’s about the petition, which currently has nearly 5,000 signatures, and asks the government to review how adequate treatment options for R-CPD are.
Speaking about the condition in 2023, a spokesperson for NHS England told BBC News that clinical evidence of the condition is “extremely limited” due to the small number of people who have made themselves aware. However, “NHS staff enact clinical advice from NICE [the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellent], which sets out the care and services suitable for patients with a specific condition or need”.
Thirlwall spoke in 2019 about struggling with anorexia as a teenager before competing on The X Factor in 2011. “In my head, I felt so down and depressed about everything that was going on in my life, I really just wanted to sort of waste away,” she told BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks podcast at the time.
After undergoing therapy, Thirlwall overcame the illness – however, she revealed last year that she has a “daily battle” with herself not to go on Ozempic after reading negative comments about her weight online.
“Little Mix fans were all about empowerment and celebrating your body however you look. Now I’m in my 30s and the healthiest I’ve ever been, but every time I post a picture, there are comments saying, ‘She must be pregnant,’” she told The Guardian.
“The sad thing is that it’s usually women. But people are used to seeing me in a group environment five or 10 years ago when I was stick-thin because I was in my early 20s with an eating disorder.”
Last September, Thirlwall released her first solo album, That’s Showbiz Baby!, to critical acclaim. She was nominated for Best Pop Act and British Artist of the Year at this year’s Brit Awards and in May, she joined forces with Lily Allen on a remix of her West End Girl track “Beg For Me”.
For anyone struggling with the issues raised in this article, eating disorder charity Beat’s helpline is available 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677. NCFED offers information, resources and counselling for those suffering from eating disorders, as well as their support networks. Visit eating-disorders.org.uk or call 0845 838 2040
