An actor and Strictly Come Dancing star who struggled with 'a heavy feeling in her legs' says she’s more confident than ever after a lunchtime operation. Tillie Amartey, who is best known for playing Stacey Neville in school drama Waterloo Road, isn’t the most obvious candidate for varicose vein treatment, at the age of just 22.

But the star has struggled for years with swollen and twisted veins on the back of both legs. She finally decided to take action after a red carpet picture was taken and she realised the vein had become visible. Tillie, who featured on the 2023 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, said: “On the picture I was turned backwards, doing a peace sign and I had my leg up. And I thought ‘Gosh, I can’t post that on social media because my vein looks scary’.”

Research led Tillie to VeinCentre for a procedure which lasted less than an hour. Tillie said: “I was up and about instantly and was impressed the procedure had no impact on my busy schedule and I am thrilled with the results. I think a lot of people were shocked when I’d say I have varicose veins. I’m a very active person, constantly walking around sets and an avid gym goer, but by the end of the day my legs would feel like lead.

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“They were super heavy, like I’d had a super heavy leg day at the gym. And it was starting to get worse. When I’d go on holiday after the flight I’d have swollen legs and I just felt like my legs weren’t circulating properly especially in the heat so it was starting to really affect me.”

Varicose veins occur when the valves inside your leg veins that are meant to keep blood flowing upwards towards the heart stop working properly. Blood then pools in the veins and they enlarge, twist or bulge. Sufferers can experience leg heaviness, itching or tingling, and swelling in the lower legs or ankles, especially in warmer weather.

Lifestyle factors and age can play a part, as can genetics, with Tillie’s grandad suffering from varicose veins. Tillie said: “I think I’ve actually had varicose veins since being young but because it was at the back of my leg it never really bothered me. And then as I’ve got more into exercise and I’ve got slightly older I started to feel like it would get a bit tight, itchy and started to irritate me more.

“I obviously noticed the bulging of it a bit more as well. And then one on the right hand side on the inside of my leg really started to stick out. I thought it was something I would just have to learn to love about myself because I didn’t know there was a solution for it.”

Tillie underwent an endovenous laser ablation procedure at the VeinCentre clinic in Leeds, with the process lasting less than an hour. She said: “It was literally a lunchtime procedure. An hour, in and out. I feel so silly because I booked out my whole week’s schedule.

“It was actually quite a nice experience and my consultant really put me at ease. Once the anaesthetic was in, which was just a little scratch, it’s really chill. The laser’s not painful. I didn’t just walk out happy, I pretty much skipped out. Straight after I was up and ready to go. The only shock is that when the veins are getting burnt away you can taste them, a bit like Frazzles (crisps). But I quite like Frazzles, so it’s fine.

“My legs now feel like completely different legs. I used to have a real insecurity about feeling like my legs were too big for my body. But actually, now that I’ve analysed it and had my veins done, I don’t think it’s because I felt like my legs were too big. I think they just felt big because they were heavy because of the blood flow problem.”

Dominic Dodd, a consultant vascular surgeon at VeinCentre who has carried out more than 7,000 endovenous laser ablations, including Tillie’s, said: “Varicose veins are incredibly common but many people think it’s something that only affects older people. I commend Tillie for speaking so openly about this and for helping to raise awareness that people don’t have to live in discomfort.”