Andrea McLean is ’embarrassed’ about how much she cried when she revealed Loose Women departure

Andrea McLean has admitted she feels embarrassed after she cried live on Loose Women while announcing she is leaving the ITV show. 

The TV presenter, 51, broke down in tears on Monday’s show as she shared the news that she would be stepping away in order to focus on other projects.

Speaking on Wednesday’s episode, Andrea told her co-stars she ‘didn’t mean’ to break down, after they admitted they were ‘shocked’ by her news.

‘I’m embarrassed I cried so much on Monday, I didn’t mean to,’ Andrea admitted.

‘If you’re watching from home thinking for the love of God is she going to mention this everytime? Possibly. No, not at all.’

Janet Street Porter told her friend: ‘I wasn’t here and you made the announcement without us but I was completely shocked,’ before asking what made Andrea decide to leave.

’10 years working together and we’ve never had a row. What tipped the balance, lockdown?’ she asked.

‘Yeah, I think it was. I had a rough year last year and then we had a global pandemic and you stop and think about your life,’ Andrea said.

‘I want to look forward. How do I want my life to be? I realised I need to be brave and make bold steps. I’m 51, how much longer have I got?’

As Stacey Solomon pointed out she was being ‘a bit morbid’, Andrea replied: ‘It’s true! There’s a sense of urgency. You have to step off that branch and hope the universe catches you.’

‘You’ve always been so supportive, checking on me,’ Janet told her friend. 

 ‘I understand what you’re saying, feeling like there’s a purpose and a new door out there. You inspire people, the younger girls coming up.’  

On Monday’s show, Andrea explained the reason behind her departure was linked to her nervous breakdown last year, as she revealed it made her question whether she was ‘living the way she wanted.’ 

Andrea explained: ‘Like so many people this has been a time to hugely reflect and think back. So many people have been talking about how they can’t wait for life to get back to normal. I, like many people, did that and thought, ‘Do I want my life to go back to the normal that it was before?’

She told viewers: ‘Last year I had a nervous breakdown and this year the world has had a breakdown. This year I’ve been really mentally strong to deal with everything the pandemic has thrown at us. 

‘You get one life, are you living it the way you want? Are you being brave? Are you doing the thing you want? 

Becoming emotional, Andrea added: ‘I didn’t think I was going to cry. I’ve told you ladies just before we came on air. I’m going to be leaving Loose Women because I want to be brave…

‘All the incredible feedback that I had from my book and the support I was able to give them, I want to bring it to life. It was a really, really big decision to jump and see if I fall or if I fly. And I just thought, I will never know unless I try, so I am saying goodbye to Loose Women.’ 

Linda Robson said: ‘I am going to miss you so much, Andrea. Honestly you have been amazing and a real good friend to me. When I was going through my depression and everything, you were the one that was ringing all the time to see that I was okay.’

‘ITV have been amazing,’ Andrea said. ‘I have been anchoring Loose Women for 13 years now and I have been part of ITV daytime for 23 and actually the team have been so wonderful [saying]… 

‘Can we help, can we give you less days so you can focus on your business?’ I am not saying goodbye to telly either… You just never know unless you try, I just want to put myself out there…

‘See what the universe has in store, help as many women as I possibly can in whatever that means but for now it means with my website and all the love and effort that I am putting into that, that will be my focus.’  

Saira Khan added:’ We are going to give you a massive send off so don’t you worry.’

Andrea said: This is not goodbye, it’s au revoir. I’ll still be here till Christmas.’

Andrea said her decision was influenced by the ‘incredible feedback’ she received after releasing her book, This Girl Is on Fire, in September this year, which details her journey from trauma, toxic relationships and divorce towards empowerment, happiness and healing.

The mother-of-two revealed that she wanted to help more women and will be taking a risk with a new career path upon leaving her position on the show. 

The This Girl Is On Fire website Andrea has created provides a membership service to support women’s mental health and confidence levels. 

Andrea and her husband Nick Feeney launched the website in 2018, following the success of her best-selling book, Confessions of a Menopausal Woman.

The couple celebrated the one year anniversary of their website in June 2019 with a party attended by website contributors and special guests Jo Malone and Brenda Edwards. 

The Scottish native first began hosting Loose Women in 2007 but has been apart from the ITV Daytime team for the past 23 years. 

Andrea currently co-anchors the show two to three days a week, while Ruth Langsford and Kaye Adams steer the ship in her absence. 

Following her announcement, positive comments from viewers flooded in on Twitter as they wished Andrea well for the future.

Fellow ITV personality Lizzie Cundy, wrote: ‘So brave @andra_mclean on today’s @loosewomen. I had tears watching! Sending you love.’

Another social media user, wrote: ‘Good luck in your new ventures @andrea_mclean she who dares wins! #LooseWomen.’

A third wrote: ‘Sad that Andrea is leaving #LooseWomen – she’s great on it. Hopefully she’ll be back at some point.’

A different person wrote: ‘Andrea a job after 20 odd years is not easy even it was your decision. I couldn’t say anything at my leaving do, planned to say all sorts but emotion just took a hold. Good luck @andrea_mclean. #LooseWomen.’

Another said: ‘@andrea_mclean Good luck in the future Andrea. The show will be weird without you. I hope you get all you wish for.’

Another person joked: ‘Not me crying in bits with Andrea McLean announcing she’s leaving #LooseWomen oh my god. She’s my favourite anchor and I’m going to miss her so much. However, I am so so happy for her.’

One person said: ‘So sad to see that you will be leaving #LooseWomen I adore it when you’re anchoring. But I’m also excited for your future. You are right, you only have one life so you must do what makes you happy.’

A different Twitter user said: ‘Nahhh sat sobbing at @loosewoemn @andreamclean I’m so proud of you, sending you so so much love xxx.’

With similar sentiment, another person said: ‘I’m so so sad that @andreamclean is leaving #LooseWomen wishing her all the very best of luck.’

Andrea surprised Loose Women viewers in May earlier this year by admitting she had secretly suffered a breakdown last year.

The presenter bravely discussed her mental health battle alongside Nadia Sawalha, Brenda and Coleen Nolan.

The star confessed she had been a ‘really dark place’, but had been seeking professional help and support to help work through it.

Andrea candidly said: ‘If this [pandemic] had happened a year ago I would have been in trouble.

‘Last year, I was in a really dark place. I had a breakdown last year, which is something I haven’t necessarily spoken about, but I did.

‘If it had happened then it would have been horrendous, but I worked on myself so hard and I had so much help and so much support that actually when it happened, we’d already starting calming our life down.’

She explained: ‘I was in a really great place mentally [at the beginning of lockdown], I’d had therapy, so actually I was quite chilled.’

This was the first time Andrea had talked about her mental health battle on the show.

Andrea later detailed what caused her breakdown after revealing she was in a ‘dark place. 

She said that she had made herself feel ‘small’ and been a ‘people pleaser’ for most of her life and refuses to be that person any longer.

Andrea admitted she hadn’t meant to discuss her personal struggles on the show and said that it ‘slipped out’, after being off air during the coronavirus pandemic.

She confessed that she is aware she may not ‘seem’ like the sort of person who would be likely to suffer from a mental breakdown.

However told the Mirror: ‘But what does a person look like? It is someone who is a people-pleaser, someone who tries too hard to do everything and can’t say ‘no’ and holds everything in. That’s exactly what I am and that is why it happened.’ 

‘I’ve had to make myself small through a lot of my life and dim my lights, I don’t want to do that any more. There have been experiences in my life of having to stay small.

Since undergoing therapy, Andrea has decided she wants to help other women who may be going through similar struggles and want to stand up for themselves.

She has set up her female-empowerment website and aims to motivate 100 million women around the world.

Andrea attended counselling with her husband Nick Feeney.

While people assumed they were having marital issues, Nick attended Andrea’s sessions in solidarity and she claimed her other half has been ‘brilliant’