Former Loose Women star Andrea McLean has revealed she was left 'crashing and burning' after a major health scare forced her to re-evaluate her life. The 56-year-old, who left the show in 2020 after 13 years, was rushed to hospital over Christmas 2024 with pneumonia, kidney failure and sepsis, following multiple bouts of coronavirus.
McLean admitted she struggled to focus on recovery, having been used to living life at '100 miles an hour forever'. Speaking to the Press Association, she said: 'I work really well when there's lots of plates spinning... until it didn't. Until I literally crashed and burned.' She described forced bed rest as 'horrible' until she reframed it as her job to get well.
The TV star also opened up about spiralling debt problems after her brand This Girl Is On Fire collapsed. She and her husband Nick Feeney faced severe financial difficulties, leading her to borrow from relatives and submit a CV to Starbucks. McLean described a sense of 'powerlessness' as 'nothing on Earth'.
McLean has since moved to Spain, which she says has been 'a massive part' of her healing. She details her struggles in her new book, Shameless: Finding Freedom and Resilience Through Failure, published by DK Red at £16.99. The book aims to help others feel less isolated, with McLean stating: 'Shame is such an isolator... so that's why I thought, right: I'll go first.'
