Alert – Miranda Hart, 51, admits she was ‘forced into stillness’ as she hints at her struggle with secret illness

Miranda Hart has revealed her secret illness ‘forced her into stillness’ as she issued more hints about her health woes. 

The comedian, 51, revealed on Tuesday that she has been battling a secret illness which has caused her to ‘gain weight’ over the past few years.

Addressing her Instagram followers on Thursday, she offered another update on her battle as she revealed she will be appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival. 

Alongside a poster for the festival, Miranda shared: ‘For someone who has been forced into stillness from illness (a pleasing little rhyme) for the best part of a decade, this Autumn is going to be rather exciting – she’s popping up again ladies and gentleman, to see how she fares! 

‘She’s a bit giddy. In a good way. 11th October I will be @cheltfestivals’. 

Miranda Hart has revealed her secret illness ‘forced her into stillness’ as she issued more hints about her health woes (pictured in 2023) 

The comedian, 51, revealed on Tuesday that she has been battling a secret illness which has caused her to ‘gain weight’ over the past few years

Addressing her Instagram followers on Thursday, she offered another update on her battle as she revealed she will be appearing at Cheltenham Literature Festival

Miranda has kept a low-profile in recent years. 

She was last seen in 2020’s film adaptation of Jane Austin, where she played ‘harmless chatterbox’ Miss Bates.

On Tuesday, Miranda opened up about her secret health battle, explaining that she has ‘felt shame’ from gaining weight, not because she is striving for an ‘aesthetic ideal’ but because she doesn’t feel like herself.

Miranda told her fans she had been diagnosed with an ‘illness’ but did not disclose what she had been suffering from.

In a video promoting her new book, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You, Miranda said she has worked hard to remove the negative feelings about her body.

The caption of the clip, read: ‘I have found it incredibly hard not to feel shame from gaining weight over the last three years. 

‘Not because of striving for an aesthetic ideal but because it doesn’t represent me and who I naturally am. But life happens. Illness happens. 

‘And it’s a great way to keep focusing on the greatest healer – self-compassion. If I lose it or not I know I am loved. Peace out.’

Miranda said that she has ‘felt shame’ from gaining weight, not because she is striving for an ‘aesthetic ideal’ but because she doesn’t feel like herself (pictured 2015)

The TV star, who was wearing a T-shirt which was branded with the word Proud, held up her book and joked she had ‘lost all of the midlife weight that was lumped on’.

She whispered ‘I haven’t, before pointing to the title of her new memoir. 

Miranda continued: ‘But can I just say I’m actually really quite proud of the fact that I’ve dismantled quite a lot of shame about my weight gain, not that because I don’t think bigger is beautiful, but because it isn’t quite me and I feel really uncomfortable and it’s one of the things I talk about in there.’

She explained more in the caption of the post, writing: ‘I have found it incredibly hard not to feel shame from gaining weight over the last three years.

‘Not because of striving for an aesthetic ideal but because it doesn’t represent me and who I naturally am.

‘But life happens. Illness happens. And it’s a great way to keep focusing on the greatest healer – self-compassion. If I lose it or not I know I am loved. Peace out.’

Miranda’s fans flooded her comments section with messages of support after she candidly spoke about both her illness and weight gain. 

They said: ‘Weight gain is horrendously misunderstood, and people can be terribly judgemental. Learning to accept yourself is a really good place to start. Looking forward to reading the book!’;  ‘I’m in my 40s, and the last three years have been a nightmare for weight gain, no matter what I do. THANK YOU for being real on here’.

‘You have achieved all of these amazing things in life because of who you are, not because of what clothes size you are. You have a whole lot of love around you.’

It comes after Miranda recently revealed she has struggled through some difficult challenges in a ‘very unexpected decade’ of her life.

The comedian rose to fame with her self-titled sitcom series in 2009 and went on to star in Call The Midwife as Chummy from 2012 until 2015.

Miranda told her fans she had been diagnosed with an ‘illness’ but did not disclose what she had been suffering from

It comes after Miranda recently revealed she has struggled through some difficult challenges in a ‘very unexpected decade’ of her life 

The comedian rose to fame with her self-titled sitcom series in 2009 (pictured) and went on to star in Call The Midwife as Chummy from 2012 until 2015. However she dropped out of public life in the past decade 

However the star didn’t return for the sixth series of the BBC drama after reports she was suffering from ill health. 

And after a decade out of the spotlight, Miranda is back to explain what really happened in her new memoir.

Opening up to her followers on Instagram, she admitted she has now reached a place of joy and peace and is ‘physically recovered in a way she never thought possible’ after a period of ‘darkness’. 

In her new book, which is set for release on October 10, Miranda takes readers through the ‘treasures she learnt in the darkness’ in the latest chapter of her life and also hinted at sharing her own love story.

Taking to Instagram to make the announcement, she explained, in her true Miranda way: ‘Hello to you I have big news that I wish to impart. I’m very excited I have got a slightly sweaty upper lip due to the level of excitement and possibly a bit of reflux. 

‘It is about my book. I can now tell you that my book is available to pre-order from all good bookstores on the 10th October. 

‘It’s called I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You, what an intriguing title Miranda I hear you say, thank you very much! 

‘I am honest in here about, well here’s what I will say, I’ve been through a very unexpected decade in my life and there have been surprising and incredible joys but also some really difficult equally surprising challenges. 

‘All the test and trials I’ve been through are in here when you buy it… I am here I am in tact, I got through it. 

‘So I am sharing the treasures that I learnt in darkness and the things that helped me to live and feel like I am free and joyful and peaceful and physically recovered in a way that I never thought possible. 

‘So there you go there is always hope I suppose whatever you might be going through at this time. None of us go through life without some testing or trials do we.’

And after a decade out of the spotlight, Miranda is back to explain what really happened in her new memoir I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You

Opening up to her followers on Instagram, she admitted she has now reached a place of joy and peace and is ‘physically recovered in a way she never thought possible’ after a period of ‘darkness’

Continuing in the caption she added: ‘During a difficult decade I was forced to get still and research and study many good and wise scientists, physiologists, neuroscientists, even the odd sociologist (all the ‘ists’)’

The comedian, who has previously kept her relationships very private, also revealed she will be opening up about her own love story. 

‘Also it doesn’t sound like it but there is some laughs along the way, some funny stories to tell.’

She teased: ‘And I couldn’t possibly say if there is a love story or not, that would be telling. No there isn’t…there is! I am very excited about it.’

Continuing in the caption she added: ‘During a difficult decade I was forced to get still and research and study many good and wise scientists, physiologists, neuroscientists, even the odd sociologist (all the ‘ists’).

‘I have distilled what I have learnt into 10 treasures. They have, without a shadow of a doubt, changed my life. The proof in the pudding being I am alive and well and joyful to tell my story.

‘I hope my story helps yours (there’s some such fun within it don’t fret!). We’re all in this life together dear chums.’

In 2017 it was revealed Miranda would not be returning to Call The Midwife, citing a busy work schedule as her reason.

But she later revealed during an stand-up gig in London that she had been suffering from ‘ill’ health, according to The Sun.

In 2017 it was revealed Miranda would not be returning to Call The Midwife, citing a busy work schedule as her reason. But she later revealed during an stand-up gig in London that she had been suffering from ‘ill’ health

Meanwhile he stat also suffered the ‘excruciating sadness’ of losing her beloved dog Peggy in 2021 (pictured) 

She later went on to get a new dog, a Poochon called Patti, which fans described as her ‘healing dog’

The newspaper quoted her saying: ‘I don’t feel myself at the moment, because I was ill last year and I wasn’t able to exercise.’

Because of the unnamed illness, Miranda, who played the loveable nurse Camilla ‘Chummy’ Browne on the show, was also reportedly left unable to play tennis.

Meanwhile the star also suffered the ‘excruciating sadness’ of losing her beloved dog Peggy in 2021. 

Miranda had had Peggy, a shih tzu-bichon frise cross, since 2007 and credited her with helping her through tough moments in her life, including past heartbreak.

She announced the death of her ‘loyal, loving best friend’ on Instagram and said she was taking a break from work and social media. 

She later went on to get a new dog, a Poochon called Patti, which fans described as her ‘healing dog’.