Christina Applegate got a standing ovation at the Emmys when talking about MS diagnosis

Christina Applegate isn’t letting having MS stop her from stealing the show at the Emmys.

Christina, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021, was helped to the stage by the ceremony’s host, Anthony Anderson, to present the Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy gong. However, before she could read out the nominees, she was interrupted in the best way possible by a deafening wave of applause from her colleagues across Hollywood.

After getting visibly emotional about the supportive crowd, she made a quip about her changed figure not being down to Ozempic, the diabetes drug that Hollywood stars have been using for weight loss.

“Thank you so much,” Christina told the crowd.“Oh my God, you’re totally shaming me with disability by standing up. It’s fine…Body not by Ozempic.”

MS symptoms include fatigue, problems walking, incontinence, muscle spasms and issues with balance. It can also impact how clearly you think and pick up new skills. Symptoms can be treated but can lead to a decreased life expectancy. It can develop at any age and is much more common in women than men.

Christina paid tribute to her “breakout role” on the long-running soap opera Days of Our Lives as she reflected on her acting career, which she believed she left due to her health.

“OK, let’s go. Some of you may know me as Kelly Bundy from Married… With Children or Samantha from Samantha Who? or Jen Harding from Dead to Me. Very few of you probably know me from that debut – I’m going to cry, more than I’ve been crying – Baby Burt Grizzell on Days of Our Lives. It was my breakout role,” she said, getting visibly emotional.

Before handing the award to the eventual winner, Ayo Edebiri, Christina said it had been an “honour” to bring to life “flawed, complex characters like the women nominated for supporting actress,” such as Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham and Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph.

Christina’s appearance at the Emmys – which was supposed to take place last year but was postponed due to the WGA and SGA strikes – comes after a long absence from the spotlight. One of her most recent public outings was her getting awarded with the star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Before heading out in front of the cameras to be honoured with her Dead to Me co-star Linda Cardellini by her side, Christina teased how she would accessorise the now-needed walking stick.

“I have a very important ceremony coming up,” she posted on X with five cane options.“This will be my first time out since diagnosed with MS. Walking sticks are now part of my new normal.”

“Stay tuned to see which ones made the cut for a week of stuff,” she added.

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Photo credit: Fox