Sam Bailey will take part in a celebrity charity football match in Leicestershire to raise funds and awareness for Young Epilepsy after her 16-year-old son was diagnosed with the condition earlier this year.
Tommy, Bailey said, began having seizures in 2023 and was diagnosed with epilepsy in May 2024. He suffers tonic-clonic seizures, which cause him to lose consciousness and experience violent muscle contractions. Bailey, an ambassador for Young Epilepsy, said the charity provided counselling and practical support to her family following the diagnosis and she wanted to give something back.
The ticketed match will kick off at 15:00 BST on Sunday, 21 September, at Anstey Nomads Football Club on Cropston Road. The fixture, organised by Sellebrity Soccer, will feature a mix of former professional players and television personalities, including former Leicester City goalkeeper Conrad Logan, TV personality Calum Best and EastEnders actor Jake Wood.
Bailey, 48, who won The X Factor in 2013 and previously worked as a prison officer at HMP Gartree, said she has regularly played in Sellebrity Soccer charity matches and wanted to stage one for Young Epilepsy because of the charity’s support for her family. "They are brilliant and were absolutely great," she said, adding that while Tommy did not need counselling himself because he would not remember events around a seizure, her youngest child did receive help after witnessing episodes.
Bailey described ongoing practical concerns as Tommy begins college, saying he now travels independently and wears a talisman on his wrist so that if he has a seizure on public transport someone will know how to help and who to call. She emphasised the importance of awareness among peers and staff, saying stress, sleep and diet can influence seizure risk and that knowing how to respond "could save his life."
Organisers said the match aims both to raise money for the charity’s work with young people who have epilepsy and to increase understanding of how to assist someone having a seizure. Bailey said the match is particularly meaningful to her because her youngest child plays for the local club and she wanted to support a hometown event.
Tickets for the match are available in advance. Proceeds will go to Young Epilepsy, which provides services, information and support to children and families affected by epilepsy.