Andrea McLean reveals she suffered breakdown last year that left her in 'really dark place'

Andrea McLean has spoken out publicly for the first time about suffering a breakdown last year.

Her brave admission came as Loose Women returned to ITV on Monday for a live show after six weeks without filming as McLean was joined in the studio by Nadia Sawalha and Brenda Edwards.

As the trio discussed the coronavirus and lockdown, McLean, 50, spoke of how it would've been "horrendous" if she had to go through it while in the "dark place" she experienced last year.

She shared: "If [the coronavirus pandemic] had happened a year ago I would've been in big trouble because last year, as you guys know, I was in a really dark place.

Read more: Nadia Sawalha was ‘out of control’ at start of lockdown

"I had a breakdown last year which is not something I've necessarily spoken about but I did."

"If it had happened then it would've been horrendous but I worked on myself so hard and had so much help and so much support that when it happened we'd already started calming our life down, taking things out that were causing stress.

"I was in a really great place mentally, I'd had therapy. I was quite chilled."

McLean added that she and her family were "really scared" for the first week of lockdown but that she adapted.

"What I did was focus on what I could control not what I couldn't and I think that's really helped us," she remarked.

The TV host lives with third husband Nick Feeney, along with daughter Amy, 13, and 18-year-old Finlay from her previous marriages.

Loose Women returned on Monday with new precautions in place in order to stick to social distancing requirements.

A statement from the broadcaster published last week explained: "Adhering to all of the necessary social distancing requirements, there will be some adjustments to the broadcast of Loose Women during this first phase of returning to air.

"Three women will be in the studio with one panellist joining via video link. There will also be some pre recorded shows across the week in addition to live shows on Mondays and Wednesdays to limit the footfall at the studios."