Mrs Brown’s Boys star Gary Hollywood has opened up about the hardships and personal struggles he has endured after making the decision to quit the show last year.
The 41-year-old Scottish actor was famed for his role as hairdresser Dino Doyle in the divisive Irish sitcom, and played the part from 2004 until 2020.
But the star sensationally quit the controversial series last year amid reports of a dispute over pay alongside fellow actor Damien McKiernan.
The past year since he quit has been difficult for Gary, however, as he had to cope with the sudden death of his brother – and also the premature arrival of his baby son.
Speaking to OK! Magazine, Gary gave insight into the struggles he has weathered over the past 11 months.
He said: “Dealing with the fall-out has been extremely exhausting and has really taken its toll on me emotionally.
“There was a problem with pay and things came to a head.
“It’s absolutely been the worst year of my life. I’ve felt depressed – it was one thing after another.
“As a man, you’re told to 'man up', which makes things worse.
“Things are changing though. It’s very heartening to see Martin and Roman Kemp talking about their struggles."
Earlier this year, 28-year-old Roman Kemp revealed he has been on anti-depressants for the past 13 years and has been battling depression.
He shone a spotlight on the condition, and the fact men seem to be reluctant to speak up about their mental health issues, in a powerful BBC documentary which was released in March.
Battling his own struggles, Gary says his wife, Cherylanne, has been his “rock” over the past year.
He continued to OK!: “I don’t know if I could’ve got through it without her, or my amazing family and friends.
“I’m also a patron for a mental health charity in Scotland called Back Onside and they offer counselling, which has helped.”
Roman Kemp won praise for his documentary titled Roman Kemp: Our Silent Emergency.
He felt compelled to make a documentary about mental health and depression following the death of his friend and work colleague Joe Lyons who took his own life, aged 31, in August last year.
Opening up about the reception his documentary had, Roman told BBC Breakfast back in March: “This was something that I approached the team about at BBC Three about making and everyone said to me at the time, is this too soon to make for you?
“I used this as my own therapy because Joe and I, what we did for a living, was make content that makes people laugh and I knew I wanted to do this almost as one last project together to try and make some form of difference.
“Seeing the response, seeing the fallout from it and seeing how much people are now starting a conversation and taking things from the documentary into their own lives, is completely overwhelming.”
He also poignantly discussed the lasting effects a suicide can have on loved ones left behind.
He said: “As Joe’s mum Celia beautifully put it, when someone takes their own life, the pain that they feel in that moment doesn’t end, it gets passed on to the people that are left behind.”
