Jamelia: my secret stomach agony - Dec 5 2006
British popstar Jamelia has spoken out about her agonising hernia that required emergency surgery last week.

The Superstar singer told the Daily Mail the pain was "excruciating... as if someone had grabbed hold of my insides and was twisting them".

She also admitted she had ignored the terrible tummy pains for a year, hiding it from her partner, footballer Darren Byfield and concentrating on caring for Teja, five, and one-year-old Tiani.

"I first noticed something whenever Darren told a funny joke. There was a strange lump in my stomach - when I laugh I automatically put my hand on my stomach, and I could feel this odd bulge," the 25-year-old explained.

When the pain became more intense, the R&B star ignored it and soldiered on with TV commitments, scared of letting people down.

She ended up in A&E and an ultrasound at a private clinic revealed an umbilical hernia which required surgery.

"Waves of giddiness kept overtaking me and I felt feverish," she said.

"I was worried but more for the children than for myself. I tried to hide pain from them."

Jamelia said the pain after surgery was as if, "an elephant had stood on my stomach," but amazingly, she managed to sing at the Royal Variety performance last night.

Although happily on the mend, Jamelia remains angry she ignored her symptoms.

"This is potentially a very dangerous illness. I was silly, trying to be some kind of superwoman."

Jamelia undergoes surgery - Nov 28 2006
British R&B star Jamelia is recovering in hospital after having an operation on a condition that caused her to collapse during filming for a television show, her manager said.

The 25-year-old singer, famous for hits including Superstar and Something About You, "doubled up in pain" while on set for a Spanish music programme in Madrid on Thursday.

She rushed back to the UK to see doctors who diagnosed an "umbilical hernia", a hereditary condition that causes pain around the stomach area.

On Friday night, at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, she underwent micro surgery, her manager Jonathan Shalit said.

He added that she hoped to recover in time to perform with Meat Loaf at the Royal Variety Performance on December 4.

He said: "She was in Spain on Thursday night performing on one of the biggest Spanish TV music shows when she suddenly doubled up in pain.

"She described it as like ’a bus had hit her stomach’.

"She saw a doctor on the set but decided to fly home where she went to St Mary’s Hospital and was examined.

"They said she had an umbilical hernia, a hereditary condition that is also related to the after effect of having children.

Jamelia has two young girls, one of whom is the daughter of her boyfriend, Millwall footballer Darren Byfield.

Jamelia had been in Spain to promote her new single Beware Of The Dog, which is due out on December 4.

Jamelia censors Lily’s album - Sept 15, 2020
Pop star Jamelia is apparently having a child-friendly copy of Lily Allen’s Smile made for her five-year-old daughter, Teja. The singer, who is also mum to 10-month-old Tiani, has had all mentions of drugs ands sex removed from the tracks, so she can let her youngster listen to it.

The 24-year-old songstress, who shares a record label with outspoken Lily, told The Daily Star: "Teja’s really into Lily’s singles so I’m getting a clean album, only for personal purposes. It’s a perk of being on the same label.