I’m A Celeb star lifts lid on ‘horrible’ five year battle with depression and reveals they’re on medication
The star has also received therapy
FORMER EastEnders star Shona McGarty has opened up on her crippling, five-year battle with depression and anxiety.
The actress, 34, has revealed she received therapy and is helped by taking medication.
Shona was just 16 when she found fame as Walford’s fiery Whitney Dean in 2008 – and she links being a child star to her mental health challenges.
In an honest and emotional interview ahead of going into the I’m A Celeb camp, Shona told The Sun: “It’s been horrible.
“It’s been quite hard sometimes, and I’m sure a lot of people can relate.
“Being in an industry at such a young age, when people ask you, ‘Are you OK?’, you have to say you’re fine.
“That was the way I was taught. You just say, ‘fine’ and you fake it till you make it, kind of thing.
“But that can take its toll on you, and I think it did.
“I’ve had a little bit of therapy, I take anxiety and depression medication, which has really helped me.
“Growing up on the telly, it is hard because your life changes.
“People recognise you and it’s very strange.
“I think the public just expects you to be OK and that you must be a very happy person, very confident all the time because you’re an actress and that’s what you do.
“But we’re all human and that’s not true, necessarily.”
Shona announced she was quitting EastEnders in 2023 to pursue other passions, including a singing career.
She says her time in the jungle is “a new chapter” – and she wants to use it to raise awareness of mental health problems.
The star added: “I think it’s really important to talk about it.”
