Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd Criticized for Promoting Holistic Health Over Modern Medicine

Sisters Sam Faiers and Billie Shepherd have been branded ‘dangerous’ and ‘irresponsible’, for their frequent promotion of using holistic health over modern medicine.

The former TOWIE stars have recently found themselves embroiled in a number controversies, after heaping praise of natural medicines while decrying the use of SPF and mammograms.

Between them, Sam, 34, and Billie, 35, have over five million Instagram followers and have used their platforms to make bold claims about the efficacy of their holistic approach in treating their various ailments, from Crohn’s disease to tonsillitis.

While the two stars have also returned to screens together for the first time since 2021, with new ITV2 reality series, Sam & Billie: Sister Act.

The show sees duo letting the cameras into their lives to follow along as they juggle motherhood and their careers, as well as health battles.

However, since the show began airing this week, it has sparked new criticism towards the sisters, with viewers slamming them for repeatedly giving out ‘misleading’ medical advice, that could cause ‘real harm’.

Holistic approach to Lyme disease 

Their ‘battle with health worries’ is a frequent theme on the show, with Billie seen navigating a Lyme disease diagnosis early on.

She opened up about her ‘really tough’ battle with the condition that saw her struggling through periods of agonising pain, extreme fatigue and was forced to rely on husband Greg’s help with the most basic of tasks. 

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by ticks and can cause general flu-like symptoms, including fatigue, headache, swollen joints and a fever, which can last for a few weeks, but for reasons not yet understood, some patients suffer for years. 

The TV personality explained that it took doctors weeks to work out the cause of her illness, and believe she was likely bitted by an infected tick as much as three years ago, but the infection lay dormant in her system.

Despite being prescribed antibiotics and steroids, she claimed they made her symptoms even worse and that she only began to get better after taking natural medicines.

In an interview with OK! Magazine last week, Billie explained how Sam had inspired her to also take up the holistic approach.

She said: ‘My body wasn’t responding to antibiotics any more. After the last course, I actually got worse. I was so unwell. 

‘It was only after Sam introduced me to a holistic doctor and I started taking natural medicines that I started to notice a difference and things slowly began to turn around.’

The mother-of-three stressed that she wasn’t trying to preach to others to take the holistic approach, but insisted it had been the right choice for her.

She said: ‘Things had been getting worse and worse by the day, but within two weeks of taking the holistic approach I was feeling better. I’m not saying that would be the case for everyone, of course. But it was right for me.’

A course of antibiotics is typically enough to treat most Lyme disease patients if started early, though the process can take several weeks.

However, for reasons scientists are still exploring, some people with the disease can suffer ongoing symptoms, such tiredness, aches and loss of energy, for years, known as Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome.

It’s not clear why this happens to some people and not others, and the NHS warns that, as this form of the disease is still not understood, there is no agreed upon treatment.

The moment that Billie learning she’s been diagnosed with Lyme disease is depicted in Sam & Billie: Sister Act, with the star seen breaking down in tears after receiving the news of the positive test.

However, fans’ empathy was severally lessened after Sam began to insist her sister couldn’t trust the doctor’s opinion and encouraged her to wait before starting a course of antibiotics. 

Billie could be seen on the phone to the doctor during her holiday, as they break the news of her diagnosis and instruct her to start a course of antibiotics.

However, Sam interrupts to tell her: ‘You need a second opinion. Never go with one opinion in healthcare.’

Fans raced to the comments to urge Billie to ignore Sam’s comments and start medical treatment, as they warned of the consequences of resorting to holistic methods.

They said: ‘Lymes disease is from an infected tick and you need antibiotics. It’s not something you can resolve holistically?’; ‘You don’t wait with Lyme disease. The sooner you are on antibiotics the sooner you get better.’

‘Suddenly Sam thinks she knows better than Dr’s’; ‘Sam I sorry but Billy listen to the doctors not Sam! You can’t wait for 2nd opinions!!!!!! you need to take antibiotics immediately.’

‘I had a tic bite 6 years ago. My dr told me the bullseye rash was a skin rash, a few days later I felt so ill I could barely look after my children. It wasn’t until I was blue lighted into hospital they said Lyme disease and put me on IV antibiotics. This was probably recorded a while ago but please take the antibiotics and make sure you take all of them’. 

‘You don’t wait! I had a bite that they suspected was a tic and they started me on antibiotics there and then! ‘Always get a second opinion in healthcare’. No. Not for everything!’

The efficacy of so-called natural methods to treat Lyme disease has very little clinically proven evidence, especially the use of herbal remedies. 

Speaking to the BBC last August, Jack Lambert, a consultant in infectious diseases, professor of medicine at University College Dublin and founder of the Lyme Resource Centre, said he was deeply skeptical of these ‘questionable’ treatments.

He said: ‘Patients have turned to herbalists because that was the only option. Some have anti-infective capacities and they do work but have they been tested? No, because there’s no incentive to do studies. 

‘Some people get non-traditional treatment, such as hyperthermia to kill off bacteria. I disagree. There are some questionable therapies out there. The best way to treat an infection is antibiotics.’

Tulane University bacteriology and parasitology professor Dr Monica Morici-Embers echoed the same to Daily Mail in 2019, explaining that while natural remedies may not be harmful, they also do nothing to actually treat the issue.

She said: ‘If you don’t harm yourself by using natural supplements or whatever, then go for it.

‘But my contention is that we need to figure out experimentally what works, and then hopefully at some point we’ll have some good treatment that can help everyone with Lyme, but I would want to see that compound actually killing Borillia burgdorferi [the bacteria involved in most Lyme disease cases] in a test tube or animal before I would use it.’ 

This hasn’t happened yet, though, so ‘every patient has to really assess for themselves the -risk-benefit of every treatment, and these patients are desperate,’ Dr Morici-Embers adds.

Tricky tonsillitis treatment 

Another clip from Sam & Billie: Sister Act sees the sisters on a night out together, when Billie reveals that her son Arthur is set to have his tonsils removed after coming down with frequent bouts of severe tonsillitis.

However, Sam is once again quick to urge her not to proceed with the tonsillectomy, arguing tonsils were necessary for his overall health.

Billie is seen telling her: ‘Next Wednesday, Arthur is getting his tonsils out. He had tonsillitis I’d say six times last year, and it made him so poorly.

‘When the doctor looked at them, straight away he said to me. ‘they are really, really unhealthy tonsils’. But tonsils serve no purpose in your body.’

Sam cuts in to disagree, saying: ‘Everything in your body serves a purpose. When you’re not well and something inflames in your body or your tonsils are raised or your hair is falling out, or you’ve got a rash, it’s because your body is telling you something isn’t right.

‘So it’s Arthur’s body’s way of telling him I’ve got an allergy, or you know, I’ve got a virus and that’s his way.  So when they’re out, how else is his body going to tell you that something is wrong?’

Agreeing with her sister, Billie noted that she also felt her son may have some sort of intolerance or allergy and says she is going to have him tested.

But Sam then advises: ‘So would you think about doing that before going through with the surgery? Something to think about…’

In her confessional, Sam then admits: ‘Over the years I’ve been really into holistic health and therapies, and I’d say that for me and my personal experiences, they’ve really helped anything I’ve had healthwise.

‘But on the flip side of that I don’t want to kind of like push this down Billie’s throat. I obviously just want her to feel like I’m here for her if she needs me. I’d just love to give the advice as and when I can.’

But fans were similarly unimpressed by Sam once again trying to persuade Billie to ignore medical advice, arguing that she didn’t have the expertise to be telling her how to treat illnesses.

They fumed: ‘She’s no doctor and shouldn’t be allowed to give advice that’s dangerous’; ‘Uneducated advice that your sister does not need’.

‘Unless you have had severe tonsillitis you will not know how awful it is. I had mine removed when I was 27. The best thing that ever happened. If the poor boy is suffering, please get them removed.’

‘@samanthafaiers who encourages children to not wear sunscreen and doubts effectiveness of nhs mammograms’. 

In her recent OK! Magazine interview, Billie revealed that she had ultimately followed Sam’s advice, opting not to get Arthur’s tonsils removed and getting him on natural medicine too.

She said: ‘My gut feeling was that it was all bad timing and Arthur really didn’t want to go through that. It’s not a nice operation — the aftermath is hard for children. 

‘I eventually got Arthur on natural medicine to try and clear his immune system. He’d had a lot of antibiotics for several bouts of tonsillitis, which isn’t ideal — it’s not great for your gut health — and the natural medicine really helped. Touch wood, he’s not had any problems since.’

Sunscreen scandal 

Last month, Sam sparked outrage after she admitted she doesn’t put sunscreen on her children, claiming they’ve ‘built up good tolerance to the sun’.

While on holiday in Mallorca, the mother-of-three took to Instagram to reveal none of her family use sunscreen as she wrongly claimed some brands of SPF are ‘harmful’ and full of ‘toxic ingredients’.

She wrote: ‘So this is always a bit of a controversial one, but honestly, me and my whole family don’t actually wear sunscreen. 

‘Over the years, the kids have built up a really good tolerance to being in the sun. Of course if it’s really hot and the sun feels too harsh I’ll make sure we head into the shade… usually around lunchtime we’ll go in, have something to eat and just avoid those peak hours. 

‘I’m really careful about sunscreen in general, because a lot of them are actually pretty harmful and full of toxic ingredients.’

Sam then revealed the alternative way she makes sure her children stay safe in the sun as she added: ‘If you do want to protect your kids, I think SPF swimwear is such a good and safer option.

‘But also, don’t be afraid of the sun! Early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it’s not as strong, I love letting the kids run around and soak it up, it’s good for them.

‘That said, I do always bring a Tallow Zinc SPF with me when I go away, just in case. And hats or caps are a must! Especially for us ladies because no one wants extra sun damage (I’ve had my fair share over the years because I am such a sun lover!).’

Her confession shocked both fans and medical professionals, as they slammed her for promoting risky and incorrect advice on her huge platform.  

Skin cancer prevention doctor Ross Perry told Daily Mail how ‘absolutely horrified’ he was by Sam’s comments, calling her ‘naive and irresponsible’. 

Dr Perry, who is the owner of skin clinics chain Cosmedics, claimed the reality star is ‘misleading’ fans into not using sunscreen on their children and it can ‘double the risk of getting skin cancer’ as they ‘do not build up a tolerance to sun exposure’.

He told Daily Mail: ‘I am absolutely horrified at Sam Faiers’ comments to followers (2.5 million of them!) are both irresponsible and naive. 

‘Children do not build up a tolerance to sun exposure, they are just storing up more sun damage for later on in life.’

He continued: ‘It is a well-known fact that children if they get any degree of sunburn as a child it more than doubles their risk of getting skin cancer at a later date so that is completely false and misleading.

‘Children do NOT build up a tolerance to sun exposure. I would totally advocate the use of sun protective clothing as a alternative for those who do not tolerate suncream being regularly applied, especially for children regularly in and out of the water, but they will only cover certain areas so an SPF is still required.

‘It is misleading to say that children need to have sunlight in order to promote their health as they will absorb more than enough sunlight through day-to-day activities rather as an over exposure or potential sunburn on holidays.

‘The standards that still apply and are good guidance are that people apply SPF when out in particularly hot sun environments and do not take the risk of getting any sunburn and that involves wearing hats, appropriate clothing and avoiding hot times of the day for sunbathing.’

‘Remember that ANY tan or sunburn is creating damage to the skin so SPF should always be worn in the sun,’ he concluded. 

In response to the backlash, Sam posted on Instagram that she wasn’t an expert, but  was simply sharing her own experience and tips.

She wrote: ‘Wow, I’ve received so many kind and supportive messages from my sunscreen post. Thank you.

‘I’d definitely recommend doing a little research into which tallow you’d like to use, there are lots of amazing options out there. PS: Just sharing my experience and tips (not an expert).’

Thermography over mammograms 

In March, Sam once again was embroiled in controversy after she made a post praising the use of thermography over mammograms in detecting breast cancer.

She shared snaps of her going to get a scan of her breasts to her Instagram and wrote: ‘You all know how much I love sharing anything natural and holistic when I come across something i truly believe in.. I’ve been looking forward to this appointment for so long!’

She then heaped praise on the thermography company, seemingly declaring it to be safer and better than mammograms, suggesting mammograms were painful and harmful.

Sam wrote: ‘A non-invasive way to check on your breast health. Unlike traditional scans, Thermocheck uses infrared technology, meaning NO radiation, no pain, and no contact—just a safe and early way to monitor your body’s well-being.’

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and the NHS reports breast screenings save around 1,300 lives each year.

Breast screening uses X-rays called mammograms to check your breasts for signs of cancer, but the amount of radiation from each mammogram is low, similar to what we might be exposed to on a long-haul flight. 

Thermal imaging has not been proved to be an effective screening tool for finding early breast cancer, as it often has inaccurate results and cannot pick up very small cancer tumors in the breast tissue as accurately as mammograms.

According to Public Health Wales, there is no scientific evidence that a thermograph is an effective early detection tool for breast cancer and thermal imaging detects only a quarter of the breast cancers found by breast x-rays.

Sam’s followers were left upset and angry by her post, noting it could scare women away from getting mammograms and was ‘misleading’ about the effectiveness of thermal imaging breast screenings.

They took to the comments to demand she take the post down, slamming it as ‘disappointing’, ‘careless’ and ‘dangerous’.

They fumed: ‘I’ve had breast cancer twice, both discovered by mammograms. Please remove this misleading post’; ‘I thought you were better than this tbh. What a dangerous post!’

‘The amount of radiation from scans are so minimal! They have experts to ensure that the devices are safe and that patient care is the utmost of importance. Don’t ever let this put you off having these scans.’

‘Please stop posting irresponsible health advice’; ‘@samanthafaiers I think it’s irresponsible to suggest the methods the nhs use as painful and the radiation is dangerous. If people spot changes they should be going and having the traditional tests’.

‘Go on scare women into thinking mammograms are not safe , please choose your words more carefully’; ‘NHS mammograms are NOT painful , a little uncomfortable but that’s it, please go to your appt it’s important’.

‘What a terrible message to send out that mammograms are dangerous well guess what so is breast cancer and not everyone has the money to pay for things like this, very disappointed in you @samanthafaiers’. 

‘As a recent breast cancer patient, this is wrong. Yes mammograms are uncomfortable but this saved my life with no harm from the scans themselves’; ‘This type of thermoscan cannot directly diagnose breast cancer. Should not be used to replace a mammogram’.

‘Please guys remember that Mammograms are still the most reliable way to detect breast cancer early. This kind of post can sometimes lead people to believing that it’s a sufficient alternative to standard screening methods, which may delay necessary medical intervention. @breastcanceruk @breastcancernow so dangerous’.

‘Remove the post Samantha’; ”comparisons show that a mammogram involves a similar radiation dose to just a few months of natural background exposure or a long-haul flight’ Maybe those against mammograms should give up flying too!’ 

‘There is no scientific evidence to prove this device is effective in screening for breast cancer. It’s not a diagnostic tool and it doesn’t have the sensitivity or depth of a Mammogram. This is so irresponsible to share such a thing to your followers. It’s careless and dangerous. Mammogrophy is still the best, tried and tested. Scientifically proven, way to get checked. Please Ladies, do your own research if necessary.’

‘Naturally healing’ Crohn’s disease 

Sam has also repeatedly claimed to be ‘naturally healing’ her Crohn’s disease after being diagnosed in 2014.

She’s previously explained she began to focus more on her health and well-being in a natural way following the diagnosis, weaning herself off her prescribed medication after a year.

She detailed: ‘When I was diagnosed, at a young age, I did think that there has got to be other ways to look after yourself.’

‘I really enjoyed reading a researching about all the holistic ways, about what I put in my body. What we eat and drink but also what we watch and what we read that is all a part of it.’

Crohn’s disease is a lifelong condition where parts of the digestive system become inflamed. 

There’s no cure for the disease, but treatment can help reduce or control symptoms, with the main treatments being medicines to reduce inflammation and stop it coming back, including steroids, and surgery to remove a small part of the digestive system.

Last year, Sam attended a Q&A with controversial alternative health care promoter Barbara O’Neill, asking her for advice on Crohn’s.

Barbara incorrectly claimed that with the right ‘natural approach’ the disease can be healed ‘quite quickly’, and that she didn’t believe people couldn’t heal from the condition.

The Australian is known for her anti-vax rhetoric, incorrectly claiming that antibiotics cause cancer and for telling clients their cancer could be cured with bicarbonate soda rather than through conventional medical treatment.

After advertising unsupported health practices deemed a risk to health and safety, she was permanently barred from providing any health services for life, by the New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission in 2019.

Sharing a video of the Q&A to her Instagram, Sam suggested her followers ‘try Barbara’s advice’ for their own Crohn’s and claimed she used natural means to get her own Crohn’s ‘under control almost 10 years ago’.

She penned: ‘Last night, I had the privilege of attending an intimate dinner with Barbara O’Neil, surrounded by natural healers, authors, educators, and more. 

‘It was an incredible experience to be part of such a wonderful community. During Barbara’s Q&A, she answered my question about Crohn’s disease.

‘This post isn’t health advice or telling you what to do. I’m just sharing Barbara’s natural approach to healing Crohn’s from her experience in natural healing. Take from it what you will, and maybe even try her advice to see how it works for you.

‘I naturally got my Crohn’s under control almost 10 years ago, and I continue to learn new things every day. The body truly is amazing.’