Billie Shepherd has been dealing with a health condition that has left her bedbound13:24, 16 Aug 2025Billie Shepherd has been dealing with a health condition that has left her bedbound(Image: Ken McKay/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)With three gorgeous youngsters, a blissful marriage and an incredibly tight relationship with her sister, Billie Shepherd seems to enjoy an idyllic life. However, beneath the cheerful exterior, the ex-TOWIE personality has been grappling with a condition that has confined her to bed, which she calls “horrendous”.As Billie and her younger sibling Samantha Faiers make their much-anticipated comeback to television in their fresh ITV reality programme, Sam And Billie: Sister Act, Billie has sat down for a candid interview to disclose how she is gradually recovering from her struggle with Lyme disease, a bacterial condition typically transmitted through the bite of an infected tick. The condition brings severe exhaustion and joint discomfort that can persist for years.”It’s been a really, really tough time,” Billie admits to the Mirror. “I’ve been lucky in that I’ve never been challenged with health issues, I’ve never had to face that. And people are dealing with things 10 times worse, but it has been awful.”The 35 year old reveals she initially began experiencing symptoms back in January. “One day I was fine, the next I woke up with really bad pains in my elbows and my arms,” she explains. “I thought I must have slept funny. I tried to ignore it but as the days went on, the pain went all over my body to the point where I couldn’t even get out of bed. It was horrendous.”Billie reveals she was “back and forth to the doctors” yet nobody could determine what was afflicting her.The former TOWIE star, 35, shares three children with her husband Greg(Image: Shane Anthony Sinclair/Getty Images)Article continues belowHowever, her condition continued to deteriorate. “I had hard, red lumps all over my legs, which were so painful, a horrible rash on my back and extreme fatigue,” she remembers.”But worst was the reactive arthritis – the most intense, awful pain in my joints. It was agony. My immune system was attacking the healthy tissue in my joints. I had so many blood tests but no one could figure it out. One doctor said she’d never seen anything like it. It was frustrating. This went on for about two months before we learnt it was Lyme’s.”Medical professionals suspect Billie was bitten by an infected tick, potentially up to three years previously. Yet the infection remained inactive until her immune system became compromised, probably due to repeated bouts of tonsillitis the previous year.As Billie’s suffering intensified, so did the medication. Multiple rounds of antibiotics and steroids were prescribed in an attempt to manage her pain and reduce swelling.”My body wasn’t responding to antibiotics any more,” Billie explains. “After the last course, I actually got worse. I was so unwell. It was only after Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around.”Billie is recovering but still faces fatigue and pain, and hopes her story raises awareness of Lyme disease in the UK.(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)Billie found herself dependent on her husband Greg, sister Sam and their mother, Suzanne Wells, for everyday assistance.”Some mornings I couldn’t even get out of bed. I would have to crawl,” she remembers. “Going to the toilet, I was in bits, I was hysterical, crying, because I was in so much pain. It was hard for me to sit on the toilet without Greg helping me. It was so scary.”How could I have been fine one day and like that the next? Greg was so worried, but he’s been really good. And my mum, too. She could see I was in agony. She was round every day. Obviously I confided a lot in Samantha, too.”The major challenge facing Billie was finding a way to discuss her condition with her youngsters, Nelly, 11, Arthur, eight, and Margot, two.”Kids are adaptable, but I was so poorly there’s no way they wouldn’t notice,” Billie reveals. “I explained honestly why I wasn’t very well. Nelly understands, she’s on the ball and will ask if it’s Lyme disease that’s making me tired when I’m not feeling good. But equally I don’t want them to ever feel worried about me.”Billie Shepherd says Lyme disease left her bedbound, speaking openly ahead of her new ITV show with sister Samantha Faiers.(Image: Karwai Tang/WireImage)Billie now questions whether the illness, which has also struck celebrities including Justin Timberlake, Avril Lavigne and Bella Hadid, was worsened by the stress of dealing with her children’s individual health problems. In the debut episode of Sister Act, launching this week, viewers will witness Billie breaking down as she recounts to Sam, 34, the frightening incident when Margot was rushed to hospital by ambulance following a seizure.”That whole situation was really, really scary,” Billie admits. “As a parent, you never think it’s going to happen to you – you wouldn’t even want to imagine it. And when it does happen you go into fight or flight mode. I was petrified.”Margot hasn’t had a seizure since, and that was back in January. So I’m praying and hoping she’s grown out of them. But it was such a worrying time. As any parent who’s experienced their child having a febrile seizure will tell you, you’re on edge a lot of the time. It’s hard to deal with when it happens. It’s made me realise how much stress can affect your body.”Billie goes on to say, “It was a vicious circle. I think I was holding in a lot of worry and anxiety about the kids and not knowing at the time what was wrong with me. I think it all led to a massive immune system crash.”Billie Shepherd and Samantha FaiersArthur had health issues, too. Like his mum, he’d had tonsillitis for months and had been due to have them out – but Billie didn’t think it was a good idea.Article continues belowBillie’s condition has improved considerably, though she continues to battle tiredness, mental cloudiness and the odd bout of discomfort. She’s hoping her experience will boost understanding as there are an estimated 2,000 to 3,000 fresh cases of Lyme disease annually across the UK.The journey unfolds in Sister Act, which, despite being packed with drama, also highlights numerous uplifting moments, featuring a guest appearance from Amanda Holden and, naturally, Sam and Billie’s unshakeable sisterly connection. “Sam And Billie: Sister Act premieres on Tuesday 19 August at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX More