Andrea McLean has opened up about her battle with anxiety, admitting it left her suicidal.
The Loose Women panelist, 46, says she ended up breaking down in tears in the makeup chair while getting ready to film the ITV show last summer.
She blames her mental health problems on taking on too much, her finance problems and her health (she had a hysterectomy in 2016 after years battling endometriosis).
Andrea, who has been on anti-anxiety medication since December 2018, told the Daily Mail : "At my lowest point, I was suicidal. This is the first time I've admitted that."
For months Andrea had been struggling, she recalled a time when she broke down in tears in a supermarket and struggled to breathe after an argument with another driver on the way there.
On the red carpet of the National Television Awards last year she could only pose for a couple of pictures before she had to run off to compose herself.
She also recalled a row with her husband Nick Feeney that left her suffering from overwhelming anxiety.
But she felt like she couldn't tell Nick or her two children, Finlay, 18, and 13-year-old Amy, about what she was going through.
Andrea said: "I thought they would be ashamed that I'd been so weak. I lay on the floor of my room and sobbed."
It all got too much for her last summer when she broke down in front of her makeup artist behind-the-scenes at Loose Women.
The MUA told her she was making herself ill and needed help.
Andrea started seeing a pyschotherapist that she says has helped her out immensely.
While she still suffers with anxiety and the occasional hard day, she now feels better able to cope.
* For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
