How an ovary syndrome led to Bake Off star's fame

When Briony May Williams was signed off sick from her job as a teacher in Bristol in 2013, she began baking as a way to deal with the stress of it all.

"I had lots of symptoms, I was absolutely exhausted and could barely walk up stairs, my body odour changed and funny things like that," she said.

After seven months, she was diagnosed with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS).

"If I hadn't got that in 2013, I wouldn't have started baking," Williams said.

"If I hadn't started baking and carried on baking, I wouldn't have gone on Bake Off five years later and my life wouldn't be what it is now."

Since her first TV appearance on the Great British Bake Off in 2018, Williams has built a career as a presenter.

She has worked for BBC One shows Morning Live and Escape To The Country, as well as Channel 4's Food Unwrapped.

Back in 2013, Williams was put on a treatment regime following her diagnosis, and within two months was able to return to work.

Williams, who manages her symptoms through medication and diet, is now hoping to increase public awareness of PMOS and improve diagnosis rates.

The three main features of PMOS are irregular periods; high levels of the hormone androgen, resulting in excess facial or body hair; and enlarged ovaries, with fluid-filled sacs surrounding eggs.

Any two of these features can result in a PMOS diagnosis.

Other possible symptoms can include weight gain, difficulty getting pregnant, oily skin and thinning hair.

There is no cure, but the symptoms can be treated, and most women with PMOS are able to get pregnant with treatment.

PCOS was renamed to PMOS on 12 May following concerns that the original term resulted in an undue focus on "cysts" and ovaries – when the syndrome in fact has a wide range of symptoms.

The fluid-filled sacs that can be present in the ovaries with PMOS are not in fact cysts, according to the NHS.

The International PCOS Network previously said it hoped the name change would improve understanding and help with treatment and diagnoses.

Williams said: "Hopefully lots of people out there who will be suffering with PMOS will get a diagnosis sooner and get more understanding from the healthcare professionals they see, from their family, from their support system."

However, the baking star turned presenter said the delay in her diagnosis may have brought about her TV successes.

"I got quite emotional when I found out [about the name change] because I thought if it had this name back in 2013, would I have got a diagnosis quicker?

"If [the delay] hadn't have happened, then so many other wonderful things wouldn't have happened," she said.