Rylan Clark has revealed that he gave up control of his social media and had 'no phone' during his mental health struggles last summer.
The TV presenter has been opening up about the tough time he had in 2021 following his split from husband Dan Neal.
Rylan in a statement in July that he and his former husband were both "prioritising" their mental health following their separation after six years of marriage.
The 33-year-old subsequently spent fourth months off work, including time away from his BBC Radio 2 show.
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Rylan, who shot to fame on The X Factor, said he wished he had had the ability to go to work to “try and distract” himself from what was going on in his life.
Speaking to Davina McCall on his own podcast Ry-Union, he said: “I was ill. I was really in a bad way for that four months.
"It’s really strange, because lately, I’ve been thinking about it. It was summer as well. Last summer was really hot and people were enjoying themselves and I had no phone."
The Strictly It Takes Two host explained that during this time he did not look at the news and he handed his social media accounts over to his management team.
He added: "I saw nothing. In one respect, that was the best thing for me. In the same respect, I look back now and I do regret how I got, but I couldn’t help how I got.
"I wished I’d just gone to work. I wish I had the ability to go to work and try and distract myself from what was going on in my life, but I actually couldn’t.
"For every hour that passed, it got worse and worse and worse.
"It took a lot for me to go back to social media but I knew I had to do it, for want of a better term, to feel normal again because it was part of my job and it was part of my life."
Rylan returned to Twitter in September after a break of more than five months, tweeting: "So…. What did I miss?"
He was quickly welcomed back by fans who have been showing him support since he has spoken out about his period of ill health.
Speaking to The Guardian’s Observer, the TV star revealed he had been hospitalized and got to a point where he 'didn't think I could continue'.
When asked if he meant continue with work or life itself, he admitted: "Both. I didn’t think I’d actually come back. I was very… gone."
Earlier this month Rylan showed off his incredible before and after photos after undergoing a body transformation.
The Essex-born presenter has transformed his physique and mental wellbeing after a challenging period in his personal life last year which saw his weight plummet to 9st.
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