Britain’s Got Talent judge Amanda Holden is a beloved British television presenter. Apart from excelling in her career, Amanda is a devoted mother to her two daughters, Lexi and Hollie, whom she shares with her husband, Chris Hughes. The family is quite close to each other and often shares glimpses of their joyful life together.
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However, their happy world was recently overshadowed by a serious health scare when Lexi contracted VTEC E. coli, a rare and particularly harmful strain of the bacteria. VTEC E. coli, also known as Verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli, can cause severe illness, especially in young children and the elderly. According to Nhsggc.org.uk, this strain of E. coli can lead to serious complications, including kidney failure.
Amanda Holden’s daughter Lexi's struggle with VTEC E. coli
Amanda’s family ordeal began when Lexi started showing symptoms that quickly escalated, leading to her hospitalisation. The 53-year-old told The Sun that Lexi spent five days in a ward after she experienced bloating and stomach cramps. The incident took place during her A-level examinations so Amanda put it down to exam stress.
However, she eventually took her to the GP and it was revealed that Lexi had a sort of bacterial infection. After analysing her blood and stool samples, it was revealed she had contracted ‘VTEC E.Coli, a very harmful strain of bacteria that’s very rare in humans.’
Meanwhile, she began receiving calls from government officials requesting detailed information about Lexi's recent food consumption and home food storage. Describing the situation as a parent’s worst nightmare, Amanda shared that Lexi was asked to cut meat and dairy from her diet as this sort of infection is affiliated with farmers. However, there was a catch, Lexi is a vegetarian and didn’t eat dairy already.
As Lexi’s health degraded she was also briefly put under the threat of sepsis, which has been known to be deadly to young people. Amanda took Lexi to Northwick Park Hospital where she stayed for five days.
The BGT star disclosed that Lexi was the 113th recorded case in the country for VTEC E.Coli. Her doctor warned that this might be just the beginning of a larger outbreak.
According to Amanda, the family narrowed down Lexi’s contraction of the bacteria from a bag of pre-washed supermarket lettuce.
How is Lexi doing now?
Amanda revealed that all of this happened while she was filming for BGT live shows but she remained quiet about it because she ‘didn’t want to cause mass panic’ and ‘didn’t want to draw attention to Lexi.’
On the other hand, Lexi may need an endoscopy and may ‘now have a sort of ongoing problem with her tummy.’ The 18-year-old is doing much better than before and leads a normal life including eating properly, going out with friends and having fun. However, she has been at the hospital back and forth for more blood tests since her discharge.
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Sources Used
Nhsggc.org.uk: What is verotoxigenic E Coli O157?
The Sun: Amanda Holden’s daughter Lexi, 18, rushed to hospital with life-threatening illness – star reveals symptoms to watch for
