Melanie Sykes ‘learning to live’ with hair loss as she shares heartbreaking update

Melanie Sykes, famed for her television presenting career in the 2000s, has shared another update on her alopecia battle as she candidly admits it’s “not always easy” to deal with

Melanie Sykes has given a heartbreaking update on her alopecia struggles. The presenter, 55, opened up about her hair loss for the first time in April 2025, before admitting she had been left “two thirds bald” just before Christmas.

Now, the TV star, who fronted Today with Des and Mel alongside the late Des O’Connor in the 2000s, has shared another post about her hair loss where she admitted she was just simply “learning to live” with it.

She wrote on Instagram: “Hey strumps, My crown is pretty much what’s left of my hair now and how healthy it is. I do get cold however hence my beanie and various headwear but I’m learning to live with ‘loss’ and counting my blessings instead.

The TV star shared this candid snap on social media (
Image:
Instagram)

Melanie is just trying to practice gratitude amid her ordeal (
Image:
PA)
The radio presenter admitted she sometimes struggles to recongise her onw gratitude but is just taking things day by day. She added: “It’s not always easy to be grateful all of the time but it is the key to happiness and takes daily/moment to moment practice. Practice love.”

In December, Mel said she was now “two-thirds bald” and in “so much pain” as she opened up about her health in a video where she wore a hat and scarf.

Addressing fans in an Instagram video she captioned “It’s been a while. Mel, wearing sunglasses and a Manchester United jacket, said: “I am not well, as you know. I’ve been ill all year. I’ve got an auto-immune condition, I’m losing my hair, I keep having crazy inflammation all over everything, and I am working on healing.

“In the last three months, I’ve done a meditation teacher training course. I was too ill to finish it. Literally the last two days of it, I couldn’t do.” She added: “”Mostly I’ve been living a very, very spiritual existence.”

Mel is best known for appearing alongside Des O’Connor on their chat show in the 2000s (
Image:
Press Association)

She added: “I’m in so much pain. Honestly, my lips and my eyes are just so bad, but I wanted to say hello. You’ll see I’m two-thirds bald really. Every time I say I’m bald, I laugh. I don’t know why. Thank God I can laugh. Always laugh.”

Mel, who rose to fame in the 90s, told her 300,000 followers: “I love you all so much, I care about you all so much…

“I just wanted to say good morning, I love you, and I want to share my thoughts as always, and my spiritual knowledge, and just get you guys to start meditating because it really is the key to joy.”

The TV host started out on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast in the late 90s, and went on to host Today With Des and Mel, Celebrities Under Pressure and Let’s Do Lunch with Gino & Mel and was also an regular guest panellist on Loose Women.

She also appeared in the 2014 series of I’m A Celeb, alongside Gemma Collins and Tinchy Styder. She finished in third place behind winner Carl Fogarty and X Factor star Jake Quickenden.

Auto-immune conditions are now thought to affect one in 10 people. There are more than 80 known autoimmune diseases and they include type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. The exact causes remain largely unknown.