This Morning’s Josie Gibson was tearful during Wednesday’s instalment of the ITV show as she revealed she lost four of her friends to suicide during the coronavirus lockdown.
The 37-year-old TV presenter, who has stepped in for regular host Holly Willoughby after testing positive for Covid-19, shared the heartbreaking news during a mental health discussion with Dr Nighat Arif.
Sitting alongside co-host Phillip Schofield, the GP discussed the impact Covid-19 and lockdowns have had on the population’s mental health.
Partway through the conversation, Josie became emotional as she shared with ITV viewers that she had personally seen the toll the pandemic took after four male friends took their lives.
She said: “During this pandemic I personally know four people - four men - that took their life to suice. I personally know them. The support just was not there.”
The mum-of-one then asked how bad the backlogs in the NHS are, to which Dr Nighat said they are “awful”.
She said: “Josie, you sharing that story is so important because when we make a noise change happens and as a GP I'm seeing that.
“In the last two weeks I've seen more people take overdoses as suicide - my youngest being 14-years-old. It got really overwhelming, because the last two years as a GP, we have been struggling without our own mental health.”
She continued: “The difficulty is when demand is so much… Hand on heart, even I don't have the solution for it.”
The GP also informed people watching at home on what they can do if they are really suffering, saying: “There are so many things that we can do.
“The first thing I say is talk, talk, talk. Don't be embarrassed, you can cry, you can be sad, make sure you are going for a walk, getting exercise, seeing green spaces, hugging a tree.”
Josie said that she followed Dr Arif's advice, and explained how she coped when she feels “low”.
She said: “Every day I take my shoes and socks off, and I walk outside on the grass because when you're connecting back to the earth, back to nature, you feel good.”
This comes as Josie replaces Holly Willoughby on This Morning after she was forced to pull out of hosting when she tested positive for coronavirus over the weekend.
Josie seems to be a huge hit with viewers, with many taking to social media to gush over the hilarious Bristolian.
One took to Twitter to say: “Phil & Josie are hilarious together”
“Just watching This Morning isn’t Josie a breath of fresh air so funny,” said another.
A third person added: “I love Josie! Can we keep her for every day please.”
While a fourth penned: “Not wanting to put Holly out of a job, but as someone has been watching the prog since Sept due to breast cancer op and treatment, I am loving Josie being alongside Phil: lovely interaction.”
If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
