THINK of the festive period and most people will think of spending time with family, giving and receiving gifts and, of course, a luxurious Christmas dinner.

But it's hard to have all of that without facing the high street scrum with fellow seasonal shoppers and the battle in supermarket aisles for the last pack of pigs in blankets.

And all of that worsens when you're living with Multiple Sclerosis - a condition which affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord and can lead to symptoms such as balance and vision issues as well as problems with muscle movement.

According to the NHS, it's believed there are more than 100,000 people in the UK who have been diagnosed with MS.

It's most commonly diagnosed in people who are in their 20s or 30s but it can develop at any age and is about two to three times more common in women.

This Christmas, a woman living with MS has teamed up with one of this summer's favourite reality TV show stars for a video raising awareness of the condition at this time of year.

Ellen Marshall, who is from Braintree, spends time with Paul Knops, of ITV2's Love Island fame in the video, to tell him more about MS.

The former Tabor student was diagnosed with the condition in 2015 after dealing with pins and needles in one hand for around three weeks.

She was initially told she was suffering with a Vitamin B deficiency by her GP but doctors later found lesions on her spine and on her brain but she is currently in remission.

The 30-year-old now lives in Witham and since her diagnosis she has been working with shift.ms - a social network for people to share their experiences of the condition.

A few weeks ago she was approached by the group to take part in its #12DaysofXms campaign which is highlighting what the festive period is like for someone with MS.

Ellen, who works as an engagement officer at Anglian Ruskin University, said: "A few weeks ago I was out shopping and was picking up some dinner and a bottle of wine.

"I'd been carrying a lot of bags and was really worn out - I ended up walking into the checkout and dropping the basket and the bottle of wine just smashed everywhere.

"But it's something which affects everyone in different ways - fatigue is a big one for me so I have to be more mindful of what I'm doing and how it will affect me.

"Some people might go out for the night and wake up the next morning and feel a bit worn out for a bit, whereas for me that feeling will last for days afterwards so it restricts what you can say yes and no to.

"And it's not something which can be fixed with a coffee.

"There's often a stigma attached to MS that you spend your life in a wheelchair or use walking aides and I want show that's not how it is for most people.

"I think it's important for people to remember that having MS isn't a completely negative thing."

Ellen said: "I'm quite outspoken as it is and I've always enjoyed public speaking so it was fantastic to be asked to do the video.

"They told me that I would be appearing with someone else but I didn't know it was going to be him and it was brilliant to have someone of his standing involved.

She joked: "I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of Love Island but I'm not impartial to watching it - I knew who he was beforehand."

Visit shift.ms for more information.