Andrea McLean has insisted that she has ‘no regrets’ about leaving Loose Women and opened up about having a breakdown a few years ago.
The TV presenter, 52, said she decided to quit as Loose Women anchor as she didn’t want to regret to eat away at her as she returned to ITV for the first time.
She admitted that it was a ‘big decision’ for her at the time as she appeared on Lorraine on Monday to speak about her new book You Just Need to Believe It.
Back on TV: Andrea McLean has insisted that she has ‘no regrets’ about leaving Loose Women and opened up about having a breakdown a few years ago
Andrea said people told her at the time that she was ‘brave’ for making the decision, saying their words inspired her to write her fourth book, which aims to help people change their life in 10 days.
She told Lorraine: ‘This is my first time being back on TV and back in the room that we share with Loose. It was a [brave decision] and the reason the whole book came about was because at the time so many people said to me you’re so brave to do that thing, to pivot.
‘And all I kept thinking was I don’t feel brave, I feel really scared but it was just something I really needed to do.
‘And then I thought, right, how can I bottle everything I’ve used to do a brave thing when I’ve felt scared and I put together a 10 day challenge for my lovely community and then saw the results and it made me brave enough.’
Opening up: The TV presenter, 52, said she decided to quit as Loose Women anchor as she didn’t want to regret to eat away at her as she returned to ITV for the first time
Andrea also revealed that she had a breakdown a few years ago as she was trying to ‘keep busy’.
She said she was trying to keep busy rather than take time to think about how she felt or what was happening, as she urged others to ‘learn from my mistakes’.
Andrea explained: ‘I had a breakdown a few years ago Lorraine, because I was going and going and going and I didn’t want to look at really what was happening.
‘I was just trying to keep busy and not think. Learn from my mistakes and just stop for a minute.’
The Scottish journalist urged people to write down on a piece of paper one small thing that makes them happy, and then urged them to achieve it in their day.
Quitting: She admitted that it was a ‘big decision’ for her at the time as she appeared on Lorraine on Monday to speak about her new book You Just Need to Believe It
Andrea stepped down from Loose Women after 13 years on the show in December 2020, and later admitted that she agonised over the decision for months.
In an interview with OK! Magazine she said: ‘It was such a slow burner. By the time it came around, it felt like absolutely the right thing to do. It was a weird decision – it did feel scary!’
‘It took months of thinking about it. We were preparing for the worst and hoping for the best. Nick and I sat down and wrote what we needed to prepare for.’
She left the show to work on her website This Girl Is On Fire, which covers wellness and lifestyle, among other projects.
Andrea and Nick now both work full time on the business, with Nick’s daughter also on board.
Decision: Andrea stepped down from Loose Women (pictured in January 2020) after 13 years on the show in December 2020, and admitted that she agonised over the decision for months
Last year, Andrea also admitted to worrying that she’d ‘never earn a penny’ or be forced to ‘sell her house’ after leaving the daytime show.
Speaking on the next instalment of Natalie Anderson’s podcast The Capsule in Conversation, obtained by The Sun Online, the presenter, 51, revealed that she and husband Nick Feeney discussed in depth the logistics of her huge career change.
She explained: ‘I knew I had to take a deep breath and just be brave.
‘So Nick and I sat down and we worked out, very logically, leaving a job that you’ve done for two decades and it’s all you’ve ever known really, to absolutely turn right and do something very different, is a very emotional experience as well as a very practical one.’
She continued: ‘We sat down and said “what’s the worst thing that can happen?” Right I never earn a penny. We’ll have to sell the house. We may have to sell the children, maybe the dog!’
When she announced her plans to leave Loose Women in November 2020, Andrea broke down in tears and also detailed how her departure was also linked to her nervous breakdown.
Andrea explained: ‘Like so many people this has been a time to hugely reflect and think back.
‘So many people have been talking about how they can’t wait for life to get back to normal. I, like many people, did that and thought, ‘Do I want my life to go back to the normal that it was before?’
Changes: Andrea previously revealed that she and husband Nick Feeney discussed in depth the logistics of her huge career change (pictured together in 2019)
She told viewers: ‘Last year I had a nervous breakdown and this year the world has had a breakdown. This year I’ve been really mentally strong to deal with everything the pandemic has thrown at us.
‘You get one life, are you living it the way you want? Are you being brave? Are you doing the thing you want?’
Becoming emotional, Andrea added: ‘I didn’t think I was going to cry. I’ve told you ladies just before we came on air. I’m going to be leaving Loose Women because I want to be brave…
‘All the incredible feedback that I had from my book and the support I was able to give them, I want to bring it to life. It was a really, really big decision to jump and see if I fall or if I fly. And I just thought, I will never know unless I try, so I am saying goodbye to Loose Women.’
