‘My 20-year ANXIETY HELL'

Andrea McLean on why she hid her panic attacks for two decades

Andrea McLean is best known as the bubbly, upbeat Loose Women anchor – having been on the hit show since 2007.

But behind the scenes, the 49-year-old has been secretly battling with crippling anxiety since she was in her 20s – even suffering panic attacks before going live on air.

In her 20s and 30s, she was able to repress her anxious feelings. ‘I’d sit silently through my panic attacks as if I was drowning on land, in full view, but nobody knew it was happening except me,’ she explains to Woman.

But in 2012, shortly after the collapse of her second marriage, she experienced an uncontrollable attack just half an hour before she was due to do Loose Women.