Emma Watkins speaks candidly about secret health battle
Yellow Wiggle Emma Watkins has opened up on her secret health battle.
In a podcast with NSW Health's Western Sydney Health Check earlier this week, the 31-year-old, shared her ongoing struggle with endometriosis.
She shared that, despite having symptoms back in high school, it was joining The Wiggles that made her realise something was awry.
“It was maybe eight years into the touring and being on the road constantly and filming back-to-back that my periods actually started to run into each other and the bleeding was actually non-stop,” she said.
“And at that point, that’s when I thought something was up.”
But despite it all, she still hadn't considered endometriosis.
The condition affects the female reproductive organs and can be debilitating.
It can cause extreme bloating, pelvic pain and infertility - and can often take up to 12 years to diagnose.
“I kind of let the touring cover up for the fact that I was very unwell,” Watkins said.
“It was hard for me to find control in my life, or a controlled environment, where I could see if it was me or it was just a lot of shows.”
Coincidentally, yellow is best-known as the colour for endometriosis awareness.
Watkins was already wearing yellow before her diagnosis but says it now takes on a new meaning.
“I didn’t realise so many women in Australia, let alone the world, were suffering from the same thing,” she told the podcast.
“It’s really just trying to create an environment that people feel safe to have that kind of discussion.”
Emma joined The Wiggles in 2010 in a number of background roles, before becoming the first female Wiggle in 2012.