'I Needed To Follow My Heart- Now I'm Happier Than Ever'

In her first interview since leaving loose women Andrea MccLean open up to Ok!s Emily Whitwam about the real reason she decided to move on, and what she thinks of charlene white replacing her on the panel

- Andrea Mcclean

Waving goodbye to the Loose Women panel after 13 years was never going to be easy for Andrea McLean. But when we call up the TV presenter, it’s clear she’s completely at peace with her shock decision to leave ITV’s popular chat show.

Bubbly, chatty and confident she’s made the right choice, Andrea is a joy to talk to. In fact, after a difficult couple of years which saw her suffer a terrifying mental breakdown, and subsequently open up about it publicly, it’s clear her departure from the programme in December has left her happier than ever.

Even the grey lockdown clouds have provided her with a silver lining, giving her the reason she needed to finally call it a day.

“The pandemic had a lot to do with my decision to leave Loose Women,” she tells us. “It makes you reassess whether you’re doing what you really want to do.”

Since leaving the show, Andrea, 51, has had to cope with her daughter’s bout of coronavirus as well as putting all her focus into her This Girl Is On Fire business – a membership and website aimed at women and their wellbeing, which she has set up with her husband Nick Feeney.

The couple, who married three years ago, live with Andrea’s daughter Amy, 14, while her son Finlay, 19, has flown the nest to go to university. Nick also has two daughters, Tia, 18, and Sienna, 15.

Here, the TV star talks about leaving the ladies behind, moving on from her breakdown, and new beginnings...