Loose Women welcomed back a familiar face on Monday's show as Andrea McLean returned as a guest almost year and a half after she quit.
Andrea spent 13 years as one of the anchors on the ITV lunchtime panel show but announced her decision to leave in November 2020 before appearing on her last show the following month. She revealed the news live on the programme, explaining that she wanted to "be brave" and try new things.
But as Ruth Langsford took the helm at the start of a new week on the ITV show, she announced that the panel had a very special guest. Later, Andrea joined Ruth, Coleen Nolan, Katie Piper and Kéllé Bryan for a chat.
As she came back, Andrea said: "It feels really nice actually being a passenger on the bus and not the driver." Ruth added: "It's quite an odd experience, isn't it?" to which Andrea replied: "It's a bit out of body but it's so nice."
Ruth started by talking about Andrea's decision to quit the show, saying: "It was your decision to go. Was it brave now that you've done it?"
Andrea replied: "Yes. At the time so many people were saying oh what a brave thing to do. Or more like what a stupid thing to do - it was the middle of the pandemic and I was quitting my job to follow a dream. But yeah, I look back on it now and think it was a brave decision. I needed to jump and see if I could fly. I'm so glad I did."
She also spoke to the panel about life after Loose and when discussing the "brave" decision to try something new, Andrea told her former colleagues about her new book, and how departing her role with them became a "catalyst" for it.
She said: "At the time so many people were saying to me, 'oh gosh, what a brave thing to do', I mean also what a stupid thing to do, it's the middle of a pandemic and you're quitting your job to follow your dreams.
"At the time I felt like it was just something I needed to do. Now I look back and it was a brave decision, because I remember saying I needed to jump to see if I could fly. I didn't know if I was gonna face plant or fly.... I'm so glad I did, I love what I do."
Ruth also found the time to ask Andrea about a future TV return. "You haven't shut the door completely on TV or Loose Women..." the show host said to which Andrea replied: "Never!"
But certain comments left Loose Women viewers complaining on social media.
@MadameMinge tweeted: "Apart from the other #LooseWomen, who called Andrea brave?"
"#LooseWomen I hate the word brave being bounced around like that. Andrea isn't brave, Katie is, look what she has gone through and still going through," @Dc7073Bloss argued.
@BeddoesJill added: "Its nauseating hearing Ruth describe the saccharine sweet Andrea as being brave for leaving LW. That is not the definition of being brave in my world. #loosewomen."
Want the latest TV news and more sent direct to you? Sign up to our newsletters here.
