Caroline Flack says performing takes away her anxiety.
The former ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ champion – who won the BBC ballroom competition in 2014 – explained she doesn’t get nervous when she’s kept busy, and that it’s the quiet time between projects when she becomes more anxious.
Speaking on ITV’s ‘Loose Women’, she said: "The anxiety I get more when I’m not working. So actually work, for me, takes away my anxiety and doing live TV, in that moment when you’re consumed by something else, it takes away all of my thoughts. It distracts you! So actually being on stage, I’m less nervous than I am just being me."
Earlier this month, the 39-year-old TV presenter revealed her mental health problems started just days after she was crowned the winner of ‘Strictly’ four years ago, and she was prescribed anti-depressants while hosting ‘The X Factor’ in 2015.
Caroline’s doctor recommended citalopram – used to treat depression and panic attacks – but the drugs left her feeling "numb" and she quit them after six months.
She opened up: "People see the celebrity lifestyle and assume everything is perfect, but we’re just like everyone else. Everyone is battling something emotional behind closed doors — that’s life. Fame doesn’t make you happy. Anti-depressants helped me get up in the morning, and stopped me from being sad, but what they also do is stop you from being happy.
"So I was just in this numb state. I stopped laughing at jokes, and that’s just not me. I came off them after six months, as I realised feeling something was better than feeling nothing at all."
Caroline also explained that her on/off romance with Andrew Brady, 28, is currently off, explaining that although they have a "passionate, raw love", they need to be happy with themselves before they can be together again.
Caroline Flack: Performing helps with anxiety
