Andrea McLean on the collapse of her business and life after Loose Women

The presenter launched the platform This Girl Is On Fire with her husband, Nick Feeney, shortly after exiting the ITV daytime show. The project failed to gain traction, leaving the couple depleted of savings and facing debt collectors. McLean describes the period as a humbling descent, noting that she even struggled to secure part-time retail work while managing debilitating health issues, including long-term effects from COVID-19, pneumonia, and kidney failure.

McLean reflects on her tenure at Loose Women with a candid perspective on the lack of support for panellists who were frequently required to discuss personal trauma without professional follow-up. She also addresses early friction during her time as anchor, acknowledging that some veteran panellists initially dismissed her as a former weather girl. Despite the professional tension, she asserts that these relationships later evolved into genuine friendships. Now, she is documenting these experiences in her book, Shameless: Finding Freedom & Resilience Through Failure, which explores the reality of hitting rock bottom and the process of rebuilding a life after public and private success.