Mollie Pearce, who starred in The Traitors, has spoken out about her life-changing operation at the age of 18, and is now raising awareness for those with stoma bags and limb abnormalities.
The 21-year-old has advanced to the final round of Claudia Winkleman’s murder mystery game show as a Faithful, and is on the verge of winning up to £120,000.
However, traitors Andrew and Harry are still in the game, while one competitor was’murdered’ and another ‘banished’ on the season’s penultimate episode.
Ahead of the final roundtable with the five remaining finalists, the Faithfuls and Traitors spent a celebration supper together, discussing the obstacles and trials they’ve experienced throughout their lives that have led them to where they are now.
Healthcare assistant and model Mollie revealed: ‘I’ve spent most of my life, since I was 11, quite unwell.
‘I wanted to advocate for people with a limb difference and a stoma.
‘If I look at myself three years ago, I couldn’t even leave the house at points, so to now be here running around with you guys is kind of crazy.’
She later added to the camera: ‘I really struggled to get my head around the fact that I was going to have a stoma. I wasn’t prepared for it at 18 years old, you kind of just want to be out enjoying yourself with your friends, not having this life-changing surgery.
‘Since my surgery, I’ve got my life back, I realised I could wear what I wanted, I could go out, I could enjoy myself.
‘It completely changed my life.’
Mollie continued to the group: ‘I had so much of my life taken away and controlled by my illness, I want to live and I don’t want to regret going travelling.’
As the other participants discussed their intentions for the prize money, Andrew, who had previously recounted a horrific accident that left him ‘declared dead’ on the side of the road, spoke sadly of regaining confidence after being unable to look in the mirror.
The 45-year-old insurance broker had earlier said: ‘I’ve been on a huge journey, I was given a second chance at life.
‘I was involved in a serious road traffic accident 23 years ago and they said I was dead initially on the side of the road.
‘I was in a coma for five weeks and they got told I had severe brain damage.
‘The injuries I had were horrific. I was told after my accident that I’d never walk again, and I told the doctor I would walk again.
‘And I did it, I’m not going to fail, I’m not going to give up on anything.’
On Thursday’s episode, he tearfully spoke about how, after his accident 20 years ago, he’s been left with ‘a chip on [his] shoulder’.
‘I’ve been so resentful and angry of my accent and everything, I looked at myself in the mirror for many, many years and hated what I saw until quite recently actually,’ he said.
‘I hated my scars, I hated everything really, and so I’m out of my comfort zone, so this is a challenge really.’
Despite the ‘trauma,’ Andrew stated that he would continue to pursue his aspirations, and disclosed that he planned to spend the prize money on his kid, to assist him travel, and to pursue his dream job of starting his own business and helping others.
He subsequently told the camera: ‘In my life, I’ve been my worst critic and have always been hard on myself.
‘I’ve never celebrated anything I’ve done well and I’ve always been hard on myself, always thinking I can do better, and never really appreciated anything I’ve done in my life to be honest.
‘To be in the final five is a really great achievement, yeah, I’m proud of myself.’
The Traitors final airs on Friday night at 9pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
Source My Celebrity Life.