I’m A Celebrity’s Rebekah Vardy opens up about battling mental illness

There I’m A Celebrity 2017 celebrities discussed mental illness in tonight’s show.

In a candid chat, Rebekah Vardy and Iain Lee both opened up about their battles.

“We have phone ins and we try and extract stories from the people that call in, we talk a lot about mental health and depression” Iain began the conversation as he discussed his radio show.

“As an interviewer would you say to a person do you often feel like killing yourself?” Stanley asked.

“I wouldn’t put it quite like that but in essence that question would be asked because I’ve had suicidal thoughts in the past. It is the biggest killer of men, suicide, between 30-45” said Iain.

Becky joined the conversation. “You draw from experience don’t you, I tried it when I was younger when I was 14.”

Iain said, “Wow, that’s incredible, I’m sorry to hear that. It breaks my heart to think that as a 14 year old you would consider doing something like that but it is really common, did you get help?”

“No,” said Becky. “Because when I was that age it was something that was pushed under the carpet and it had such a bad effect on me and I made such horrific decisions in life and I got to a point after I had my second child where it just hit me and it does because you can’t run from it forever and that is what I was doing.

“I had really bad post natal depression with my second, it’s like Pandora’s box opens and when it opens you have to deal with it.”

Stanley said, “I heard it can sometimes hit women after their second child.”

Becky continued, “It was a knock on effect after that. I had CBT therapy which changes your brain’s thought process. I had counselling and I was on anti-depressants for a while and then all of a sudden things just started getting better.

“Because you learn to deal with things and you need to talk and talk helps you overcome so many things. It is so different now.”

Iain said he hoped “For my kids’ generation the way will be cleared slightly, I’m not proud that my head went that way, but it’s not a weakness”

The others agreed that it wasn’t a weakness.

“The mind is a powerful tool” Jamie added. “If you let it run away with itself, it will do”.

Iain thanked Becky for sharing and being so honest.

If you ever need help, Samaritans offer confidential advice and support, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week over the phone on 116 123 or online