Comedian Miranda Hart has revealed her struggle with chronic fatigue after being diagnosed with Lyme disease. In her new book, I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You, Hart provides a frank account of the past 10 years, including the challenges posed by ill health. The star's autobiography also offers a rare insight into Hart's private life, with the revelation she married at the age of 51. Hart, who is best known for her eponymous BBC show Miranda, told the BBC it had been a “tough few years” but she was “thrilled” by her marriage, and she was “really keen to get back to some silliness”.

It took medics 33 years to discover Miranda had been battling with the bacterial infection Lyme Disease, after initially mislabelling her as being agoraphobic. She recalls running out a doctor’s appointment in floods of tears after they told her she was ‘TATT’ - ‘Tired All The Time’ and said: ‘I just don’t know what to do with you’.

The comic officially received the diagnosis in lockdown and believes she contracted Lyme Disease when she 14 after battling nasty flu-like symptoms in Virginia. She writes: ‘For me it was the unnerving neurological symptoms that I had got initially, aged fourteen, from Lyme, which I always found particularly hard to deal with. And they got considerably worse as I headed into my forties. As did the fatigue from the cell depletion. Yup, all delightful.’

Of the moment she got her diagnosis, she adds: ‘I got off that Zoom call, pulled my laptop shut and sat there, still and aghast. So many emotions, I was shocked, but I also immediately felt a deep well of sadness and disappointment - for over three decades I’d KNOWN there was something wrong. I recalled all the times I’d told different doctors, “I feel toxic and poisoned, or, It’s like I have flu every day but I don’t have a temperature.”

(It’s amazing how the body can sometimes literally tell us what’s going on.) I felt anger rising at the times l’d been told I must have agoraphobia. I would try and treat it as such, when, as it turned out, it was the lack of energy and the extreme light and sound sensitivity that made my body crash when going out to be in any kind of activity or stimulating environment.’

Miranda says she struggled to know how to share the news of her diagnosis with her followers, fearing she would be perceived as ‘complaining’ or ‘just tired all the time’. But Lyme Disease was causing havoc for her body and she ended up with ‘endless diagnoses’. Also, fans soon noticed her absence from TV screens.

In 2017 it was revealed Miranda would not be returning to Call The Midwife, citing a busy work schedule as her reason. But she later revealed during an stand-up gig in London that she had been suffering from ‘ill’ health. She said at the time: ‘I don’t feel myself at the moment, because I was ill last year and I wasn’t able to exercise.’

Speaking out now, the comedian says doctors found she had battled Epstein-Barr, glandular fever, herpes, shingles and ‘other nasties I don’t care to remember for they all sounded so awful’. Miranda describes suffering from chronic stress with viral infections and injuries being her primary stressor and ‘years of fear from misdiagnosis’. Living in London and a high flying career added to the comedian’s ‘stress pot’ until it all became too much and she ‘eventually collapsed’.

She writes: ‘For years, I had been waking up with symptoms that I now see were being caused by a stress pot at a 9 out of 10, due to my undiagnosed Lyme and associated infections from immune system disorder. Anything I then had to do that day would cause extreme fatigue. That’s why I eventually collapsed.’

Reflecting on the life-changing moment, Miranda says if she had learnt to remove stressors from her daily life, ‘my body could get back to some efficient functioning to recover’.

The Impact of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected black-legged ticks. The most common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache, fatigue and a skin rash called erythema migrans. The disease can typically be treated by several weeks of oral antibiotics. But if left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous symptoms and be deadly.

What Happens When You Are Infected?

During the first three to 30 days of infection, these symptoms may occur:

• The rash occurs in approximately 80 per cent of infected people.
• It can expand to up to 12 inches (30 cm), eventually clearing and giving off the appearance of a target or a ‘bull’s-eye’.

Later symptoms of Lyme disease include:

• Joint pain: This is often experienced in the knees, elbows, wrists, and ankles. It’s usually an inflammation in the joints, causing swelling and pain. The joint pain of Lyme disease is often described as a persistent ache that worsens at night. It can also occur in one or more joints at the same time.
• Neurological problems: Lyme disease can affect the nervous system, leading to various neurological problems such as numbness, tingling, weakness, and pain. This can include headaches, dizziness, memory problems, and nerve pain. Facial palsy is another possible sign of Lyme disease, where one or both sides of the face may become paralyzed.
• Cardiac abnormalities: In some cases, Lyme disease can affect the heart. This can lead to palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, and even heart block, a condition that affects the heart’s rhythm.
• Fatigue: Chronic Lyme disease can lead to persistent, debilitating fatigue, even after completing a course of antibiotics. This fatigue can be severe, making even simple activities like walking or dressing seem impossible.

Overcoming Lyme Disease

Hart’s journey with Lyme disease serves as a reminder that even in a highly visible, glamorous career like hers, mental and physical health are paramount. Her story highlights the importance of early detection and diagnosis of Lyme disease. The star says she found it incredibly hard being confined to her home for such a long period.

“Unless you’ve had fatigue [like that], you don’t understand what literally not getting off the floor is,” Hart told BBC Radio 4’s Today show. “I was basically bed-bound - and housebound. There’d be times where I'd look at a glass of water, and think ‘I don’t know how to pick that up’. All anyone wants is to be heard, accepted, loved and seen… and when you’re not - particularly in a medical situation - it’s the worst.”

Part of why she’s written the book was to share her discovery of what helped her recovery, she said.

“I thought I need to research this whole wellness expertise and dialogue that’s out there, but I was at bed at home alone, the doctors didn’t know what to do with me and I couldn’t have a cold plunge or go on a yoga retreat. So I thought what are the universal truths? So I did years of research, when I felt able to, and in the book there are 10 keys, which I call my treasures, to living well. And they’ve really genuinely [helped]. I feel like despite the suffering it came from, that I’m living a life of joy and meaning and fulfilment in a way I never have before. I feel like I know who I honestly am, in a way that I never knew I needed to, which is just incredible.”

A New Chapter in Life

Despite her health challenges, Hart has found a new sense of purpose and joy. She’s returned to acting and is excited about new projects. Hart's love life appears to have a happy ending: at the age of 51, she reveals, she got married to a man she met during the pandemic.

“Getting married in mid-life is a full injection of joy and fun,” she said. “It’s the best!” “He’s my best friend, we have the best fun... The fact that I could meet somebody - it’s not a rom-com story but it’s hope, and that’s why I think, whatever situation you’re in, there’s always hope that things really do change.”

Having taken time out to rest and recover, and with her new husband by her side, Hart suggested she finally felt well enough to start taking on new projects. “I’m really keen to get back to some silliness now, I miss the studio floor, I miss laughter.”

After the show, Hart said she found her fans' delight at her news “really very touching”. Posting a video on X, she said: “I’ve got my best friend to do life with and it’s wonderful, and I’m also utterly thrilled to be back in telly land and having a book out, so thanks so much for all your support.”

Hart ended the video high-fiving her husband - only his hand was visible in the clip - which she joked was an “exclusive”.

Living a Life of Meaning

Hart's story is a testament to the human spirit's ability to overcome adversity. Her journey with Lyme disease and her subsequent recovery have taught her valuable lessons about resilience, the importance of self-care, and the power of human connection. She's found a new appreciation for life and is determined to live it to the fullest. She reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope for a brighter future.