Andrea McLean opens up about feeling ‘lost and vulnerable’ before marriage counselling

The Loose Women star says therapy improved her relationship

Andrea mclean and nick fennel
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Andrea McLean has opened up about attending marriage counselling with her husband Nick Feeney.

Speaking to OK Magazine, the Loose Women panelist admitted to feeling ‘lost and vulnerable’ before she and her husband attended therapy.

Andrea said, ‘I’m the kind of person that holds everything in and keeps smiling, but inside I was really lost, scared and feeling vulnerable.

‘I just hit a wall one day. I came home and said to Nick, “We need to talk.” I was giving everything 120 per cent, and I wasn’t looking after myself.’

The TV star continued, ‘We have our website, This Girl Is On Fire, which aims to empower women by giving them expert advice, but I wasn’t following that myself. It was a stark warning to both of us that we needed to take stock of everything. Fun was something I forgot about because my focus was on surviving.’

Nick also told OK Magazine, ‘When Andrea first opened up, she told me there were a few things I was doing that weren’t helping, and that she felt I wasn’t hearing her. I thought we had an amazing relationship, so for my wife to tell me that was devastating.’

It was Nick who suggested counselling, in order to fix the relationship before it was too late.

Andrea mclean and her husband

The couple say therapy has improved their relationship (Credit: John Phillips/Getty Images)

Despite only having three sessions, the pair said the professional help did a world of good and resulted in Andrea learning more about herself.

Nick added, ‘I needed to learn that a lot of Andrea’s situation had nothing to do with me. It’s easy for people to make it about themselves and say: “I haven’t done anything. Why are you being like that?”’

When asked if there was a point when the couple thought they might divorce, Andrea stressed, ‘Absolutely not. We’ll be together forever.’

Nick says Andrea is now ‘stronger’ than ever, he added, ‘Andrea has been through so much in the last couple of years, but now she’s building herself back up into a much stronger woman. She is flourishing.’

Lizzie Thomson
Freelance writer

With a BA hons in English from the University of Liverpool Lizzie has over 7 years' experience writing all things lifestyle for national titles such as Evening Standard, Woman and Home and the Metro.