Martine McCutcheon received an outpouring of support this week as she shared her "crippling anxiety".
The 46-year-old is renowned for her role as Tiffany Mitchell in EastEnders. Martine quickly established herself as a fan favourite on the BBC show before she exited Walford in 1998.
The former soap star has since forged a successful career in the spotlight as she appeared in the hit film Love Actually. She remains in the limelight and was set to appear on the latest episode of Blankety Blank this weekend.
READ MORE: Paddy McGuinness shares health problem after ex Christine spots signs
However, her episode was replaced as the BBC aired the edition hosted by Lily Savage in tribute to the late, great Paul O'Grady.
Away from the world of showbiz, Martine has built up a large following on Instagram and is regularly open about her well-being with her 559,000 followers. This week, she detailed her experience with the peri menopause as she said: "I have the hot flushes, the insomnia, the brain fog and fatigue … The list goes on doesn’t it?! And to be honest, having lived with M.E/CFS and fibro since my 20’s, those symptoms seem to be something I can cope with… (touch wood!)"
However, Martine said she was also suffering with "anxiety" that left her unable to drive and wanted to raise awareness as she added: "A kind of irrational anxiety that makes no sense whatsoever! You feel like you’ve lost your own damn mind! Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t seem to hear about this side of it as much. I wanted to share this, just in case any of you out there feel the same and feel scared or worried - You aren’t alone! I’m pleased to report after going through a phase of not even feeling confident enough to drive (That’s SO not me!) that I’m now feeling much better and I’m working my way back to my own “normality”."
Martine has always been candid with her struggles as she revealed she has been diagnosed with ME in 2011, a longterm illness that causes an overwhelming feeling of tiredness that's also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. She told Hello! in 2021: "It can make you tired and it can be unpredictable, which I hate as I love routine and being reliable. But in a way, I look at it as my friend now rather than my foe."
Martine overhauled her lifestyle in a bid to get on top of health conditions after the birth of her son, Rafferty, in 2015. She told Hello how she lost one stone after she implemented The Cambridge Diet, which is a programme of low calorie shakes, soups and snack bars.
However, she has since updated her diet and told Love Sunday magazine how she now now follows an “80/20” rule, and will stick to healthy foods and proteins during the week. According to Mirror Online, Martine eats plenty of vegetables and fruit, as well as organic vegetable juices, but confessed she is happy to indulge when she’s in the mood.
She said: "I’ll have treats 20 per cent of the time - I’ll have that slice of pizza, chocolate or a G&T to celebrate a friend’s birthday. It's taken me such a long time to look through all the stuff that’s out there, and just do what works for me. So it's not as simple as just going on a crazy diet. I just feel like it's really important to encourage women to just be the best version of themselves."
Martine received praise form fans as she showed off her incredible figure while on holiday with her singer husband, Jack McManus, and young son.
She said: "Making memories and soaking up the sun with my beautiful family. #holiday #familytime #grateful #makingmemories #sunshine #beachlife"
Followers flooded the comments to praise Martine after the update.
Lisa said: "Martine you have the most incredible figure."
Tracey added: "Looking fab martine"
Jo posted: "Gorgeous photos, and Martine you look incredible"
Diane commented : "Great photos, & you look amazing Martine."
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