As Simon Cowell opens up about his mental health during Covid, here’s a look back at some other celebrities who have bravely addressed similar issues in public.
Kerry Katona
Ex Atomic Kitten singer Kerry has addressed mental health matters on many occasions, in numerous TV appearances, magazine articles, and social media posts.
Additionally, she has also been frank over the years about her battles with addiction, stays in rehab, and experience of bipolar disorder. Kerry has also bravely opened up about having thoughts about taking her own life following an appearance on This Morning in 2008. Furthermore, she was also reportedly previously admitted to the Priory, said to be due to a mental health crisis.
Kerry has also stressed how mental health is not an issue to be embarrassed about, writing: “It’s so important to speak out.”
Denise Welch
TV star Denise Welch has previously opened up about breakdowns she suffered while working on Coronation Street. The Loose Women star has also regularly addressed topics relating to mental health on the ITV lunchtime chat show.
Natalie Horrocks actress Denise starred on ITV soap Corrie between 1997 and 2000. She shared during a 2020 appearance on The Wagon podcast: “My depression was so bad I had two nervous breakdowns while doing Coronation Street. I was trying to work through them to the point that I was getting up at 5am for filming.”
Denise explained: “I was crawling on my hands and knees to the toilet, making myself vomit. Because by making myself be sick I was trying for the 10 seconds of being sick to try and take away the pain that was in my head.”
Denise has also spoken about enduring depression since her son Matty Healy was born. She’s said: “I’ve lived with it for so long.”
Tyson Fury
Heavyweight boxer Tyson revealed a fight outside of the ring in a 2020 ITV documentary as he addressed mental struggles. Diagnosed with bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder, Tyson suffered a breakdown in 2015 after a victory against Wladimir Klitschko.
Tyson reflected in the programme: “I always knew I was unwell, but I always put it to the back of my mind because I had a job to do. My job was to become heavyweight champion of the world. So you put all your eggs in one basket and if you’ve an addictive personality, it’s all or nothing in everything you do. When you’ve achieved your dream and there’s no further you can go in your career. That was Everest and that’s it – it all came crushing down.”
Following a failed a drugs test in 2016, Tyson relinquished his title and his health declined. At one point, his weight is said to have hit 29 stone.
“I woke up wanting to die on a daily basis,” Tyson admitted. “I didn’t want to live anymore because I was het up by depression so that’s as low as you can go.”
He added: “You’re looking at the man who has everything. Acclaim, glory, fame, many achievements, a family and everything that goes with it. The trimmings, the gravy and still he isn’t happy. We’re made to believe success is happiness, but that’s very untrue.”
Rylan
In early 2022, Rylan spoke about being admitted to hospital following the breakdown of his marriage to Dan Neal. He recalled how he ‘didn’t think he could continue’ at his lowest points. He also said he went to hospital “for safety reasons”.
The next month he added: “Mental health is so prevalent, it’s one of those that things people are talking more and more openly about which, I never in my life thought that I would go through a crisis like that.
“But I did, ultimately, and it literally hit me round the face like a baseball bat, because I always thought I was too strong for it.”
Nadiya Hussain
Chef Nadiya fronted 2019 documentary Nadiya: Anxiety and Me, speaking about suffering debilitating panic attacks since childhood.
The mum-of-three has also spoken about losing time with her kids because she was unable to get our of bed.
She’s said in the past: “I thought for a long time about how much I wanted to talk about my anxiety. I was riddled with it since the age of seven and have learnt to live with it. Genuinely I believe you can be successful and motivated and be fragile and have mental health issues at the same time.”
Additionally, Nadiya has also said: “A panic attack makes me feel like I’m going to die. Imagine your whole life thinking you are going to die every single day.”
Frankie Bridge
The Saturdays and Loose Women star has been very open about her struggles with depression on TV and in the press.
She’s addressed going through panic attacks, taking medication and being in rehab during interviews. And she has subsequently becoming an ambassador for charity Mind.
Frankie has indicated she has suffered with poor mental health since she was teenager – and was a ‘worried’ child, too.
In 2011, while filming a music video in Iceland, Frankie hit rock bottom with her despair. This lead to her hospitalisation on her return to the UK.
She later revealed: “I’d reached a point where I couldn’t cope with everyday life.”
“I was constantly crying and telling my partner that I didn’t really want to be here any more,” Frankie added.
Frankie also penned Open: Why Asking for Help Can Save Your Life, in which she documented issues she has suffered with.
Rita Simons
In 2018, former EastEnders actress Rita likened her mental health struggles to torture.
She said at the time: “I suffer with a million ‘isms’, including ADHD. I also have really bad insomnia. The worst is when I can’t sleep at all and I’m up all night.
“Some nights I’m awake just staring at the wall. I don’t even watch TV or listen to music. It is awful. It is like torture. Sometimes it feels like I don’t sleep for days. It’s horrible.”
Christopher Eccleston
Doctor Who star Christopher explained in his 2019 autobiography I Love the Bones of You that he has endured anorexia and severe clinical depression.
He also suffered a breakdown in 2016 after his relationship with his wife collapsed. Christopher spent his 52nd birthday on a psychiatric ward.
He told the Guardian in 2020: “I’m male and Northern. I’m from a working-class background, so you were not supposed to speak about your feelings. I still carry all the baggage about masculinity and toughness. I was ashamed about my depression and eating disorder.”
Christopher added: “I really felt that I was going to die.”
Linda Robson
Denise and Frankie aren’t the only Loose Women regulars to speak about mental health. Linda also told viewers about her experiences when the panel was asked about managing mental health during an August 2022 episode.
Linda said she has “a little bit of OCD”. She continued: “I have had really bad mental health problems, I was off work for two years, and I turned to drink.
“I got put on some medication that sent me a bit mad, I got put on a certain drug which was supposed to help my depression and that, but it didn’t.”
“It just heightened it, so I had to go to three different establishments, and it was the worst time in my life. I completely ruined my family’s life,” Linda added.
She also noted she “had a proper breakdown” while in Ibiza with co-stars Nadia Sawalha and Stacey Solomon.
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Helen Flanagan
Former soap actress Helen has previously offered her best wishes to fans during Mental Health Awareness Week reflections.
She wrote on social media in 2020: “Just wanted to send love to anyone that is struggling at the moment. I have struggled at times in my life and so many of my loved ones have.
“Mental health is nothing to be ashamed of and so many people struggle you are not on your own. TALK to someone. There are so many people that really care.”
Read more: Fears as police announce plans to stop responding to 80% of mental health call-outs
If you are struggling with your mental health, contact the Samaritans online. Or call 116 123 from any phone for free.
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