Rylan Clark has confessed he suffered with crippling anxiety following his marriage split last year.
The TV presenter and his husband Dan Neal confirmed they had gone their separate ways in 2021 following six years of marriage, with Rylan blaming himself for what happened at the time. The pair had been together for eight years before they announced their decision to split and move on from one another in an emotional post.
And now Rylan has opened up about how he felt at the time, admitting he was "in a really bad way" and struggled with terrible anxiety following the end of their union. He made the heartbreaking admission as he discussed the gift of anxiety with his co-host Ruth Langsford and a guest on ITV's This Morning today.
Speaking about anxiety, he said: "It can be something so crippling but just listening to you say it in that way, it does make complete and utter sense. It's like you're fearing something that potentially hasn't happened, or may not happen, or it may happen but to be prepared for that and being in the right frame of mind will surely be a lot better."
As the guest explained how that is "the gift of anxiety," Rylan went on to discuss how he was in a "really bad way" last year, and only wish he had her advice previously as it could have really helped him following his marriage split.
"You were there with me last year; you were there with me last year. I was in a really bad way with it all and I wish I spoke to you beforehand. I might have been in a lot better of a place. But it is just that fear of everything," he admitted.
As his co-host Ruth added: "But at that point, you felt it was crippling you and you couldn't see past it."
Rylan and Dan separated in 2021, and the presenter previously opened up about how he's in a "good place" but still not fully healed as of yet. He is hopeful things will get better and is looking forward.
"In 10 years’ time I’d just like to be happy. I know that sounds w**k but it’s the truth," he said in June 2022, "Genuinely, the best piece of advice I could give [my younger self] is make sure you’re always happy.
"I’ve been in a lot of situations over the last 10 years where I’ve gone on with something because I thought it was the right thing to do. Or because I thought it was good for my job or my personal life. But if you’re not happy, it’s really not worth it."