Andrea McLean, 55, spoke on Instagram about her appearance while travelling to her first live TV appearance in a while

View 2 Images

Andrea McLean opened up about her health on Instagram(Image: Alan Chapman/Dave Benett/WireImage)

Andrea McLean has opened up about a symptom she’s faced in the aftermath of her pneumonia battle. The 55-year-old TV star was struck by a severe flu-like illness before collapsing at her home in December.

Andrea was promptly rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute kidney injury and sepsis, as well as intense pneumonia, significantly impacting her lung capacity. While she’s now mostly recovered and has returned to life as usual, some things don’t quite seem like they used to.

En route to her first live TV appearance in a while, Andrea posted to Instagram and shared her symptoms with fans. “On my way to do my first live television for a long time,” she said.

“I won’t lie, I’m nervous. I’m looking forward to it, because I love doing telly stuff, but because it’s been a while I’m a bit scared. I know it’s because I care and I want to do a good job and not look stupid, which is absolutely normal. I’m nervouscited.

“We all feel like this. It’ll be fine once I’m doing it. Deep down I know it will.” However, later, she added: “I also seem to look permanently dishevelled!

“I have lost quite a lot of hair with Covid and the strong medication after pneumonia and it doesn’t seem to behave like it used to. I’m embracing it as there’s not much else I can do. There’s a kind of freedom to that too. I’m liking the rebellion of it.”

Following her pneumonia diagnosis, Andrea spent several days in the hospital. She described the experience as a ‘sensory overload’, replete with glaring lights, incessant screaming, shouting, and an almost constant ‘smell of poo’.

The TV star was also left ‘terrified’ by the behaviour of other patients in her ward, including six women who seemed to have dementia. Some were incredibly distressed by her presence, with one demanding to know why Andrea was there and repeatedly pulling on her ‘flimsy’ bed curtain.

View 2 Images

(Image: John Phillips/Getty Images)

In a Substack post, she recounted the experience: “I hadn’t left my bed for four days, but time didn’t seem to pass in the normal way. My heightened senses were overloaded with constant noise and smells that I couldn’t block out.”

She found it difficult to sleep in this ward and even asked hospital staff if she could continue treatment at home. Despite some resistance, medics eventually agreed she could go to sleep but must return every day for drips, tests and medication, according to SurreyLive.

In her blog, she added: “Note to self; being a big brave girl and not saying how much pain you’re in when you’ve lost 80% capacity in one of your lungs to severe pneumonia and infection is not a smart move.”