What Illness Does Therese Coffey Have? Fans Worried About Her Health

British politician Therese Coffey is the recently appointed Deputy Prime Minister.

Coffey was appointed Deputy Prime Minister on September 6, 2022, under Liz Truss, who succeeded Boris Jonson after he got fired. Coffey succeeded Dominic Raab in her position.

Alongside Deputy Prime Minister, Coffey is also the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which she was appointed on the same day as her appointment to Deputy Prime Minister. She succeeded Steve Barclay in this position.

Coffey became a Member of Parliament on May 6, 2010, for Suffolk Coastal, where she succeeded John Gummer after winning a majority vote of 20,533.

She began to rise in the government when she became the Assistant Government Whip on July 15, 2014, under Prime Minister David Cameron. She served in the role until May 8, 2015.

Still under David Cameron, a few days after the end of her role as Assistant Government Whip, Coffey became the Deputy Leader of the House of Commons on May 11, 2015.

Coffey served as Deputy Leader of the House of Commons until July 17, 2016, outlasting David Cameron, and on the same day, now under Theresa May, she became the Minister of State for Environment and Rural Opportunity.

She served as the Minister of State until September 8, 2019, outlasting Theresa May, and now under Boris Jonson, she became Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, which she served until September 6, 2022. She is a Conservative party member and the first woman to serve as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Quick Info

Is Therese Coffey Sick?

Though Therese Coffey is not sick at the moment, she had a terrible bout with meningitis in 2018 that almost killed her.

In a recent interview with Nick Ferrari of LBC News London, when asked about her appointment as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, the interviewer asked Coffey what she’d say to detractors who’ve commented on her appearance.

Many people have been critical of her appointment. He added that Coffey, much like himself, could lose a pound or two, insinuating that people were critical of her appointment due to her girth.

This complaint, alongside an infamous batch of photos of hers from 2015, which showed Coffey drinking champagne and smoking a fat cigar, has made people wary of the new Deputy Prime Minister.

When asked about these complaints, Coffey sidestepped questions about her weight and partying habits and shared an experience where she was hospitalized for a month in 2018 due to meningitis.

The Deputy Prime Minister shared how close to the grave she was and lauded the NHS, the National Health Service, for their impeccable help and how brilliant of an experience she had with them.

She further stated that she is a former smoker but that the Chief Medical Officer and others will continue to be the role models that Coffey can’t be, but she’d do her best as well.

Coffey’s no-nonsense attitude interview seems to have turned the tide on opinions on her for many of her previous detractors. Many tweets called LBC out for repeatedly calling her fat, how people don’t care how she looks, and celebrating her partying habits, stating that they don’t want a bunch of squares in charge.

What Illness Does Therese Coffey Have?

Meningitis, which Therese Coffey suffered in 2018, is one of the most dangerous diseases.

It is an inflammation or swelling of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called meninges.

The most common symptoms of the illness are fever, headache, and neck stiffness.

As of 2019, 7.7 million people worldwide have suffered from meningitis, and 236,000 people have passed away.

With appropriate treatment, the rise in meningitis is less than 15% but had Coffey not gone to the hospital in time and been treated properly, and her future could have been grim.

In the same interview she talked about her illness, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that her meningitis did not come from her partying habits.

Though she sidestepped much of the concerns about her health, Coffey made sure to state that she has not only quit smoking but has started taking better care of her health.

Therese Coffey’s Health Condition

Despite detractors talking out of the side of their mouths about her health, Therese Coffey has stated that she has never felt better.

Having made history as the first woman to serve as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Coffey is geared to make big changes with her superior, Liz Truss.

Coffey’s appointment comes after several attempts at running for political office. Truss and Coffey have been known to be close compatriots, long-time friends, and allies.

Their appointment is the first time two women have been in power in the positions of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister in the history of the United Kingdom. Incidentally, their appointment came two days before the Queen passed away.

Coffey immediately took to her role and used the press run to invite the public into her world and share who she was. This method has been very successful, as evident with the Ferrari interview.

Although she takes her job seriously, the Deputy Prime Minister seems very light-hearted about other life matters. In another recent live interview, an alarm on her phone rang, playing a Dr. Dre song.

She has also stated that she is an avid football fan, supporting her hometown team Liverpool FC. Her love for football even seeped into her political career when she signed a 2011 Early Day Motion set down by MP Steve Rotheram requesting a knighthood for Kenny Dalglish, a former Liverpool Forward.

Therese Coffey’s Early Life And Career

Therese Coffey’s appointment comes after two decades of serving in various positions in public offices.

The Deputy Prime Minister was born in Billinge, Lancashire, on November 18, 1971. Though she was born in Lancashire, she grew up in Liverpool and saw the Merseyside town as her hometown.

Coffey attended St Mary’s College in Crosby and St Edwards’s College in Liverpool as a child.

Following this, she studied chemistry at Somerville College in Oxford, where she was also involved with the Oxford Union and rowing.

Unfortunately, her college career at Somerville College would be cut short as she was asked to withdraw in her second year on academic grounds.

Following this dismissal, Coffey attended University College London, where she would eventually graduate and earn a Ph.D. in chemistry in 1998.

Coffey didn’t immediately start her political career after graduation but went to work for Mars, Incorporated, where she worked in several roles.

The most prominent of these roles was as finance director for Mars Drinks UK. She then worked as a finance manager for the BBC in their property division.

Coffey began her first forays into politics in the European Parliament elections in June 2004, where she stood for election to the European Parliament for South East England.

Although the Conservative Party won 35.2% of the vote, which gave them four seats, as Coffey was seventh on the party list, she did not get elected.

Undeterred, the following year, she stood as a Conservative Party candidate for Wrexham, Wales, at the 2005 general election. She ended up coming third with 20% of the vote.

At the next European elections in 2009, the Conservative Party won 34.79% of the vote, giving them four seats, but Coffey was fifth on the list.

It wouldn’t be until the next year, after winning the 2010 general election, that Coffey would break into politics.

What’s Next For Therese Coffey?

As she has just been appointed to her new position, Therese Coffey has not yet stated her future policies.

However, if her press run is any indication, the Deputy Prime Minister seems to be gearing up for a career with a vested relationship with the public.

Though it seems like the culmination of two decades of work, Coffey’s appointment in her new position is also a beginning. As the first female Deputy Prime Minister, the weight on her shoulders to craft a successful legacy is immense.

But, given her jovial and no-nonsense attitude, it’s not an unfair assessment to believe that Coffey might pull it off without breaking a sweat.