Loose Women favourite Andrea McLean left in December 2020, after 13 years as a host, and on Monday she returned to the ITV series to discuss life after the series
Loose Women welcomed back Andrea McLean to the ITV show, for the first time since she quit the panel almost a year and a half ago.
Andrea returned to the set for the first time, this time as a guest and not on the panel, which she said felt “really nice” but “out of body”.
The host filmed her final episode in December 2020, and on Monday she returned to reveal all on her life post the show.
Speaking of the “brave” decision to try something new, Andrea told her former colleagues about her new book, and how departing her role with them became a “catalyst” for it.
(
Image:
ITV)
She said: “At the time so many people were saying to me, ‘oh gosh, what a brave thing to do’, I mean also what a stupid thing to do, it’s the middle of a pandemic and you’re quitting your job to follow your dreams.
“At the time I felt like it was just something I needed to do. Now I look back and it was a brave decision, because I remember saying I needed to jump to see if I could fly.
“I didn’t know if I was gonna face plant or fly…. I’m so glad I did, I love what I do.”
(
Image:
ITV)
Discussing her fourth book, she added: “I wanted to put a challenge together for the lovely women who joined me, to show them how to do brave things and move away from fear because I was still really scared.
“People thought I’m really brave, I’m not feeling fear but I am, so I put this 10-day challenge together. Ruth, I had no idea whether it was gonna work or not. I knew it worked for me but I didn’t know if it would work for anyone else.”
Andrea also spoke about her nervous breakdown which she suffered three years ago, and this is something she opened up about on Loose Women at the time.
Reflecting on this, she said: “That is what I love about this show, I was able to talk about it, and people reached out to me and I helped other people through that.
“I think I built a little tool kit up in that time, which felt really dark and horrible but what it made me do is realise that one, I never wanna go back to that place again, but also I need to stop looking for… someone else will fix me, I’ll feel better then. Actually you need to learn to fix yourself.”
Co-host Ruth Langsford also asked about a future TV return, and suggested she hadn’t ruled out a Loose Women comeback.
Ruth said to her: “You haven’t shut the door completely on TV or Loose Women…” to which Andrea replied: “Never!”
When it came to saying goodbye all over again, Ruth told her how they all missed her being on the show, with Andrea saying she would have to come back soon.
(
Image:
ITV)Andrea previously told The Mirror that she still has “no regrets” about leaving the series, as she finds her feet with her new venture.
She said: “I have no regrets at all, 100%. I look back really fondly on my time there, and I was so lucky. I had the best job in the world but it just didn’t fit anymore.
“That’s not a bad thing, we all change and you’re not the same person a decade later. Most of us will outgrow our jobs at some point.”
News
Katie Piper says her new face is ‘made from a cow’ after acid attack destroyed skin
Loose Women panellist Katie Piper has revealed how surgeons reconstructed her face after she was the victim of a horrific acid attack in 2008, aged just 24…
The Hollywood stars and British celebs vowing to house Ukrainian refugees
Benedict Cumberbatch, Gary Lineker and Emma Thompson are among the high profile stars who have offered to welcome refugees fleeing war-torn Ukraine under the government’s Homes for…
Loose Women’s Christine Lampard admits bad habit that ‘drives husband Frank insane’
Loose Women were discussing forgetfulness when panelist Christine Lampard admitted that her husband Frank is not impressed with her constantly misplacing her mobile phone Christine Lampard has revealed…
Loose Women’s Jane Moore calls Coleen Nolan ‘ghastly’ as she shoves her at show start
Loose Women’s Jane Moore took a tongue-in-cheek swipe at fellow panellist Coleen Nolan after she ‘shoved’ her at the start of the ITV show Loose Women panellist…
Kate Ferdinand says she was ‘naive’ becoming step-mum after Rio’s family’s ‘deep loss’
Kate Ferdinand appeared on ITV’s Loose Women and detailed her family life with husband Rio Ferdinand in the wake of the loss of his first wife Rebecca…
Nadia Sawalha says being pregnant was ‘the only time’ she really loved her body
Loose Women panelist Nadia Sawalha spoke about being pregnant with her two daughters Maddie and Kiki and reckons that having her children actually saved her life Loose…
End of content
No more pages to load