Rylan Clark has opened up about his mental health struggles following his split from former husband Dan Neal. The 33-year-old presenter of It Takes Two admitted he thought he was 'too strong' to have a breakdown, but it 'hit him like a baseball bat'.
Speaking on his podcast Ry-union, Clark said he never imagined going through such a crisis, but it caught him off guard. He took four months off work after the collapse of his marriage last year, during which his weight dropped to 9st 13lb. He described the experience as 's***' and said he 'didn't deal with what happened'.
Clark credited his mother, Linda, as a 'lifesaver' and admitted that one of his biggest regrets was putting her through his ill health. He has since put on four stone through healthy eating and exercise, following a plan with fitness guru Scott Harrison that included cutting down on alcohol and eating small meals throughout the day.
The broadcaster returned to work on Strictly Come Dancing in September and said fitness gave him a goal. 'Getting fit and looking after my body has saved me,' he explained. 'Last year I properly lost myself. I wanted to get me back and make a better version.'
