Fans were left fearing that Marcel Somerville had contracted the coronavirus last month when he was rushed to hospital with a sudden illness. Now, the star has opened up about what really happened. Whilst it turned out not to be Covid-19, Marcel became seriously ill with Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA), despite not previously realising that he was diabetic.
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Marcel revealed to OK! Magazine:
Three weeks ago I had Diabetic Ketoacidosis [DKA]. It basically means the ketone levels in my body rose too high and turned my blood acidic. I was throwing up, felt light-headed. I lost weight, my face was sunken and you could see my bones. It was because I have Type 1 diabetes, but I only found that out in hospital when they asked, “Do you know you’re diabetic?” I had no clue.
Marcel's girlfriend, 24-year-old Rebecca Vieira, who called the ambulance when Marcel was struggling to breathe, described the experience as 'so scary'. The couple, who have been dating for 14 months, recently announced that they are expecting their first child together.
Whilst Marcel had been totally unaware that he had Type 1 diabetes - which is not caused by lifestyle factors - he had noticed that he had lost weight prior to falling ill. After being admitted to hospital the situation became very serious as he was put in intensive care and risked falling into a coma.
A grateful Marcel credited the amazing NHS for his recovery, saying:
I have to give a shout out to Anne, the nurse who got my blood levels back to where they should be and saved my life.
Whilst he described the experience as 'a proper shock to the system' he said:
Diabetes is very manageable... if I look after myself I’ll be able to live a normal life.
