Comedian Jason Manford has hailed the crowd at one of his recent gigs as 'special' for how they made him feel.
The stand-up performer was in Derry's Milennium Forum on Saturday, June 25 and made it clear afterwards that the crowd made all the difference in helping lift his mood.
Following the gig, he posted a series of photos from the venue writing: "When feeling low it takes a special crowd to pick you back up, Wonderful crowd in Derry tonight was just who I needed to see, always worth the visit."
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The Salford comedian also spoke highly of his support act for the evening, Lurgan-born comedian Micky Bartlett. He added: "Support act @MickyBartlett smashed it."
Manford has opened up previously about his battle with anxiety and depression. In a video posted on his Facebook page in 2019, he opened up on why he had taken a little break from social media platform.
"I wouldn't go as far as to say a breakdown, but I had a struggle mentally and I found it very difficult to deal with."
"You see people saying what they're up to and what they're doing and their house always seems lovely and tidy and the kids seem well behaved, and they always look nice and slim," he said. "There are lots of reasons - you compare yourself to them."
He told his fans he had "felt stupid" feeling the way he did despite having "a lovely life and all these things to be grateful for". Adding that the lowest he felt at one point he felt like "I'd let my kids down and I couldn't do my job anymore".
Manford also urged his followers to reach out and talk about their issues "especially blokes" - and asked them to remember that "just because you're struggling doesn't mean you're failing".
If you or someone you know is in distress or despair, call the freephone 24/7 crisis helpline Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
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