Strictly Come Dancing and Coronation Street star Georgia May Foote has opened up about the heartbreak of people 'staring' at her due to her health condition. The former Coronation Street star has Vitiligo, a condition where pale white patches develop on the skin. It's caused by the lack of melanin, which is the pigment in skin.
Georgia opened up about how the condition flares up in the summer due to her getting a tan, as she shared pictures with fans. She told them: "Every time I go on holiday and I get a beautiful tan, I see how much my vitiligo has spread more than ever before.
"I would be lying if I didn’t say it gets to me. It makes me feel super insecure at times. But seeing how the people around me support me and still love me the same makes my heart feel full."
She added: "I’ve noticed people staring, having a good old nosey with their faces screwed up, and that’s when my heart drops."
The star then pleaded with people to be more compassionate as she continued: "So this is just a friendly reminder to those people to be kind. I’m sure the way it makes you feel is nothing in comparison to how the person with it feels.
"I’m proud to be a voice for people like me with the condition. I battle with how I feel about it every day. Today’s one of those days I remember there is nothing I can do about it. So here we are. Showing it in all its glory (I do have lipstick on, but my whole colour has now gone in and around my lips) And please. Let’s be kind."
In June 2022, the actress went public with her condition which sees pale white patches develop across her skin. Taking to Instagram, she posted a series of images to her story where she explained how Vitiligo affected her.
She said: "As you can see the pigment on my skin has disappeared. The reason for this happening is still unknown although there are a few factors they think cause it.
"The saddest part? There is no cure." Georgia went onto to answer questions from fans with one asking whether it became more noticeable in the summer.
"Deffo more noticeable with a tan," she said, before adding: "I see patches I can't normally see when my skin is a lot lighter.
"The area that's white has no melanin. So it will not tan at all. Making the skins around it nice and brown which makes the white appear even whiter."
