As a 19-year-old lad, Tyler was worried when he started feeling horrendous pain in his stomach. “Your diet often isn’t the best when you’re a teenager, and mine definitely wasn’t, so at first I put it down to what I was eating,” he explains.

Eventually, after many more weeks of pain and after encouragement from his family, Tyler visited his GP, only to be told he just had an upset tummy and to give it some time. Luckily, he went back and pushed for more help, so he was referred for a colonoscopy. “The procedure was super quick for me,” he recalls. “As soon as it began, they knew instantly what was wrong. Of course, so many things run through your mind, and I was worried. Then they told me it was Ulcerative Colitis.”

Being told you have a lifelong condition for which there is no cure is a lot to get your head around. Tyler, like many other people, felt overwhelmed post-diagnosis, but heard about Crohn’s & Colitis UK and found our resources really helpful. “Reading other people’s stories, knowing there is a helpline available, and also seeing familiar faces of different celebrities who live with the condition, really comforted me.” he says. Tyler remembers ringing the Crohn’s & Colitis UK helpline himself many years ago after a weekend of pain. “I just needed to talk to someone. It really helped to let it all out,” he says.

Fast forward to last year when Tyler started filming for the 2025 season of The Traitors, and Colitis was definitely on his mind throughout. He became worried he might have a flare-up on set after forgetting to take his medication.

“Thankfully, the welfare team were great during filming. They were able to source my medication, and I took it, so avoided a flare-up and I was ok,” he says. Contestants bond quickly in the castle, and when it comes to telling the others about his condition, Tyler was open with a few of them. “Sometimes, when I was in pain or experiencing symptoms, I did tell other contestants just so they were aware. Everyone was so supportive and said it was great I was taking part and not letting Colitis stop me.”

Tyler is keen to raise awareness about the condition and show people that you can still dive into the deep end, apply for reality TV shows and live life to the fullest with a chronic condition like Crohn’s or Colitis. “I want to show people that you can do anything you like still. I’m even looking to fundraise and would love to start marathon training to one day run the marathon for Crohn’s & Colitis UK.” Watch this space…

You can follow and connect with Tyler on Instagram and TikTok @Tyler.smithy_.