Transgender taxi driver, 56, who appeared on Jeremy Kyle and Judge Rinder begs fundraisers for £15,000 – to get her TEETH fixed
Melissa Ede says she wants to raise the cash to go private because NHS options "terrified" her and is hoping her thousands of social media followers will help
A TRANSGENDER cabbie who appeared on Jeremy Kyle is begging for £15,000 of donations to get her teeth fixed.
Melissa Ede, 56, claims her gnashers have been “ruined” by hormones and violence over the years and hopes to get her two front teeth taken out and replaced.
The wannabe social media star, who also appeared on Judge Rinder, wants to go private for the dental work because NHS options “terrified” her.
Melissa has thousands of followers online who lap up her bizarre videos where she sings in skimpy outfits with bottles of ketchup, mayonnaise and sausage rolls attached to her chest – but has so far only raised £100 in her
She says the dental work will “raise her confidence” and silence the trolls who have made comments about her teeth on her videos.
Melissa, who was born a man but lives her life as a woman, said: “For some of the videos, I stick chewing gum across my teeth or hold my top lip down so you cannot see my teeth.
“I get attacked a bit about my teeth on some of the videos.
“They can call me what the hell they want. I am used to that but it would be nice to have the confidence to smile as I am doing it.
“I put a video up on Wednesday night and already on that, there are so many nasty comments.
“I get really nasty comments – ‘get your teeth sorted’ and I get called Bugs Bunny a lot.”
Melissa, who also reached the last few hundred in the world out of 200,000 people who applied to going a space mission to Mars, added she often suffers from pain in her mouth that stops her from speaking.
She said: “Some days, I can hardly speak properly because of the pain in my mouth.
“You will probably realise this if you re-look at my videos. But saying that, I still put videos out to inspire to give people joy.
“Now as I am so viral, I want to carry on because so many look forward to seeing new videos. But if things get worse it may not be possible.”
She has also defended herself against criticism that people should fund her cosmetic work.
She said: “People have said why should you get that when people are dying all over the world from hunger, starvation and the rest of it.
“If you want to help them people, please help them people because they do need your help. What I am asking people to do is help me if they want to help me.
“I am not trying to take it away from any help that anybody else would get. I am not saying don’t donate to them because I want your money.
“I am saying if you want to help me please help me.”
Melissa appeared on Jeremy Kyle last February after married man Stephen Beers claimed to have slept with her and accused his wife Michelle of cheating.
Melissa revealed the six-time-married scrounger had been pursuing her for an affair.
She said: “Steve never stood a chance with me. He was ringing me up and suggesting he took my transgender virginity.
“If I wanted to I could have had Steve at the drop of a hat.
“Steve and Michelle have been cheating on each other. They are both cheats.”
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