Big Brother star unrecognisable after extreme facelift | UK News

Big Brother star Joni Hesselgren, who appeared on the Finnish version of the ITV actuality show, was left “unrecognisable and blind” after a botched facelift in South Korea. The influencer had already undergone a rhinoplasty, 360 liposuction and dental work overseas, and flew out to Turkey for his latest process – but was turned down point-blank by surgeons who said it was too dangerous.

Instead, Joni flew to South Korea and went under the knife for his thirtieth birthday. He explained: “I consulted with a number of Turkish surgeons about the chance of getting a decrease facelift. They told me they would not carry out a facelift on somebody my age, and actually, I do respect that determination.”

So Joni went ahead with the op in Seoul to undergo V-line surgery to refine his jawline, after initially being “terrified” of the procedure. He paired it with a deep plane facelift so everything could be done in a single surgery – but lost too much blood during the op.

Three surgeons worked on him during the procedure, which included facial contouring, a cheekbone reduction and a lip lift. In his first night of recovery, Joni couldn’t close his mouth at all.

He said once he got a taxi back to his Airbnb, “things really started to escalate and my swelling suddenly got much worse.”

On day two, he started shedding his eyesight, admitting his eyes grew to become “utterly swollen shut”. Joni said: “I had a follow-up appointment at the clinic on post-op day three, at this point I still couldn’t see anything at all. I couldn’t even tell whether it was day or night.

“My friends helped me into a taxi and guided me everywhere, I couldn’t see shadows, lights, shapes, nothing.”

He was rushed to a hyperbaric chamber for oxygen therapy, which labored as a de-swelling treatment and meant he may finally open his eyes again. He had been blind for around 12 to 15 hours.

Joni said he’ll see the ultimate outcomes “in about six months”, but warned: “If you ever consider going through this many procedures, please take a friend with you. The recovery process is physically exhausting, but it’s a lot to go through mentally as well. You really need love and support during that time.”