Olivia Attwood has revealed that she was forced to leave the I’m A Celebrity camp after blood tests revealed she had anaemia.

It comes after the TV star had to make a sudden exit after being in the camp for just 24 hours when the blood test results showed her condition.

Sharing the news to Mail On Sunday, the Love Island star said “because of the results the show’s medical team got from my readings, they were not happy to sign me off to come back in, even though I had the clean bill of health from the hospital.

“If I went back into camp, they feared my levels might drop and it could be detrimental to my health and wellbeing.”

What is anaemia?

The NHS describes anaemia as being the general term for having either fewer red blood cells than normal or having an abnormally low amount of haemoglobin in each red blood cell.

Those who have anaemia are described as being anaemic.

The NHS says there are different types of anaemia: iron deficiency anaemia and vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia, with iron deficiency being the most common.

What is Iron deficiency anaemia?

Iron deficiency anaemia is caused by a lack of iron, often because of blood loss or pregnancy.

But it can be treated with iron tablets and by eating iron-rich foods such as dark-green leafy vegetables, cereals and bread, meat, dried fruit and pulses such as beans, peas and lentils.

Symptoms can include tiredness and lack of energy, shortness of breath, noticeable heartbeats called heart palpitations and pale skin.

For pregnant people, iron deficiency anaemia is most often caused by a lack of iron in the diet, while heavy periods are also a common cause of this type of anaemia, according to the NHS website.

If left untreated, the condition can make someone more at risk of illness and infection as a lack of iron affects the immune system.

However, it could also increase a person’s risk of developing complications that affect the heart or lungs, and in pregnancy, it can cause a greater risk of complications before and after birth.

What is Vitamin B12 anaemia?

Also known as folate deficiency, it happens when a lack of vitamin B12 or folate causes the body to produce abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly, the NHS says.

The health service said this type is more common in older people, affecting around one in 10 people aged 75 or over and one in 20 people aged 65 to 74.

Symptoms of this kind of anaemia include tiredness and a lack of energy, pins and needles, a sore and red tongue, mouth ulcers, muscle weakness, disturbed vision, and psychological problems which can include depression and confusion problems with memory, understanding and judgment.

The treatments include taking B12 supplements, folic acid tablets, and eating foods such as meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, yeast extract, specially fortified foods and green vegetables like broccoli, brussels sprouts and peas.

Causes include a lack of these particular vitamins in someone’s diet and certain medicines.

Another cause is a condition called pernicious anaemia, where a person’s immune system attacks healthy cells in their stomach, preventing the body from absorbing vitamin B12 from food.