PALS HELPED HER BEAT WOES
LINDA Robson says Loose Women helped her survive when she hit rock bottom.
The TV star, 63, struggled to cope when we went into lockdown last year.
Behind closed doors she was battling deteriorating mental health.
But when Loose Women started up again, she turned to her co-stars for help.
In a heart-to-heart, Linda told the Daily Star Sunday: “During the first couple of weeks of lockdown, I was so depressed.
“I was stuck indoors, I couldn’t go and see my grandchildren. My sister and my niece both had breast cancer and I couldn’t even go to see them.
“But then we went back to work on the show five weeks after the first lockdown and that was our saving grace. It meant I was getting up and going to work two or three times a week.”
Linda has struggled with mental health issues for years, including depression and OCD. And she had a longrunning issue with alcohol.
In July 2018, she suffered a breakdown that was so bad she checked into rehab.
Linda has opened up about her problems for a special episode of Loose Women to air later this year. During filming, she broke down in tears because it was so poignant. She said: “I got very emotional doing it. I filmed it with Frankie Bridge – it was a chance for us to talk about everything.”
Linda added: “Loose Women has helped me through some really tough times. I go to work with my mates every day. We have such a laugh. “And I think it helps the people who watch it, too.” Linda has been on the panel for almost a decade and has no plans to leave.
She said: “I’m definitely there until the end of the year, and then I’ll see what happens.”
The show is up for a gong at the National Television Awards on September 9.