A STUDENT from Golborne is starring in a TV series about 12 singletons with illnesses or other difficulties struggling with dating.

The series, called Too Ugly for Love?, shows how people’s difficulties and illnesses can affect their daily lives and make finding relationships hard.

Abbie Lloyd, 22, from Barton Street, is one of the singletons. She suffers from Crohn’s disease and has an ileostomy bag.

Crohn's disease is a long-term condition that causes inflammation of the lining of the digestive system, which can cause abdominal pain, unintended weight loss, tiredness and other embarrassing side effects.

Abbie, who is a musical theatre student at the London College of Music in Ealing, started to feel ill in her second year at the university.

She said: “Uni and Crohn’s isn't a good match when you aren't diagnosed.

"I had lost five-and-a-half stone in weight and I was not able to attend classes as I was exhausted and couldn't eat a meal without feeling or being sick.”

When Abbie got her diagnosis she was given medication, which made things a lot better despite her still feeling tired and not gaining much weight.

She said: “In my third year I got a hole in my bladder because my Crohn’s had stuck my bowel to it, so I needed an operation to correct it.”

This operation left Abbie with an ileostomy to rest her bowel. However this is temporary and she will be having it reversed after graduating.

Abbie then started recovering and became part of an ileostomy support group on Facebook, where she was contacted by a researcher for the programme.

She said: “I feel there is a need for awareness for Crohn’s disease and ileostomies. They aren't just for old people, and living a life with a chronic disease is a lot harder than most people realise.

“I hope it (the TV show) will entice people to get behind the need for new medication and funding for people with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) as it would be amazing if there could be a cure in my lifetime.”

Abbie will be appearing on Too Ugly for Love? on the TLC channel for the first time tonight, Wednesday.

She is on the show again at 9pm next Wednesday.