Kirsty Gallacher has candidly discussed how she experienced a breakdown following her divorce from husband Paul Sampson, 45, in 2015.
The presenter, 47, opened up about how she struggled to balance her broadcasting duties, Strictly Come Dancing rehearsals and being a newly single mum to her two boys Jude, 13, and Oscar, 16.
Left mentally and physically exhausted from her split, juggling her new life got so difficult that Gallacher spiralled into a deep depression and even terrifyingly collapsed on Sky Sports in 2016.
The TV star said while it may have appeared as though she had everything together, behind the scenes she was falling apart.
She shared on The Mid Point with Gabby Logan podcast: “I was a wreck. I was skinny as a rake. I was running on empty, running from dance rehearsals with the lovely Brendan Cole to Sky Sports to rehearsals at night.
“It was more than exhausting, emotionally, physically.
“There was nothing negative about the show apart from me being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was like a cauldron of emotion.
“I had a breakdown. I didn’t cope very well after that. I kept going for so long.”
Referencing her terrifying health scare on the set of Sky Sports, she added: “I had a virus, but I was also having a breakdown. I know what was going on in my head, I wanted to run away really.
“I was just in pain.”
Following the breakdown of her five-year marriage, the broadcaster was romantically linked with several notable names including comedian Jack Whitehall, rugby player Danny Cipriani and actor Laurence Fox.
But now armed with hindsight, the TV star said that she rushed into dating too soon following her divorce to “fill the void”, admitting she wasn’t and still isn’t great on her own.
She shared: “I did that classic thing of coming out a relationship and thinking ‘great, let’s go out partying’. You want to meet someone else quickly to fill the void. I’d been with Sampson for a long time… two kids, they’re my life.
“Suddenly I was like I’m on my own. It was just awful. I’m still not great on my own. The person I look back at makes me very sad.
“I was dating the wrong people. I was on the floor [at the end of my relationship]. It’s taken me a long time to build myself up.
“I was horrible to myself. I was sad. I felt I didn’t mean anything. I know I went through trauma and it’s taken a while to build up, back where I am.”
After working on herself, Gallacher said she’s now in place where she’s “ready to meet someone” and “would love someone to sweep me off my feet”.
She added: “I haven’t had that in a long time. You yearn for that as a person. I am very romantic and would really love that at this point. I’m ready for it right now.”
