Julia Morris has shared her struggle with shingles, a painful viral condition that affects many Australians.

The 57-year-old co-host of “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” described being confined to bed with intense headaches and an uncomfortable rash.

Known to impact one in three Australians over the age of 50, shingles is the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, varicella zoster.

‘When shingles hit me, I was in the middle of one of the busiest times of my career,’ she said in a new interview with Perth Now.

‘The physical toll was immediate and overwhelming — I had a red rash across my torso, an aching body and the most brutal headache.

‘I could barely get through a day without collapsing back into bed,’ she continued. 

Julia Morris has opened up about an agonising health battle

‘Even routine activities such as showering left me drained, and I was incapacitated for weeks. Shingles was more than just excruciating; it drastically changed my daily life and work habits.’

On Tuesday, the comedian posted a video, sponsored by pharmaceutical giant GSK, to help raise awareness about the condition.

Advising followers to talk about ‘hidden health baggage’, Julia wrote in the caption, describing her shingles battle as ‘incredibly painful’.

‘Before going through this, I wasn’t aware that shingles result from the reactivation of the virus responsible for chickenpox earlier in life,’ she added.

‘Here’s the kicker: almost all Aussie adults are carrying this virus, and about 1 in 3 people will develop shingles in their lifetime.

‘There comes a time when you need to start contributing to your ‘health superannuation’. 

‘That’s why I’m sharing my story to encourage Australians over 50 to speak to their doctor or pharmacist about shingles. 

‘By understanding your risk, you can start to unpack the hidden health baggage so many of us carry.’

‘When shingles hit me, I was in the middle of one of the busiest times of my career,’ she said in a new interview with Perth Now  

She also shared a video where she expressed her surprise at getting shingles, thinking she was ‘too young’ for it, despite it usually affecting those over 50.

It comes after Julia recently opened up about her split from ex-husband Dan Thomas, four years after they separated in 2021.

The reality TV star was married to the British comedian, 44, for 16 years, and the pair share daughters Ruby, 18, and Sophie, 16.

She told TV Week she is the ‘happiest’ she has ever been following her ‘self-reflective’ journey post-split.

‘I’m at my happiest now, but I didn’t anticipate feeling this way when I began this journey four years ago,’ she mentioned to the media in June.

‘I have an incredibly private life. I don’t share my children online, and we generally keep to ourselves. But, in terms of myself, I am honest.’