Frankie Sandford took time out from girlband The Saturdays last year, amidst reports she had entered a clinic.
Now the talented 23-year-old has spoken out to set the record straight, revealing her battle with depression.
In an open and honest interview with Glamour magazine, as part of their 'Hey, It's OK' campaign, in conjunction with the mental health charity Mind, Frankie said: "I felt that I was worthless, that I was ugly, that I didn't deserve anything.
"It all started when I was about 15 or 16. I used to stay in bed a lot and had no motivation; I thought I was just being lazy.
"Since childhood I've been an over-thinker. I used to make myself sick with worry. I'd always have stomach aches and breathing problems."
Frankie’s problem came to a head last year when she got upset with footballer boyfriend Wayne Bridge over a misunderstanding
She explained. "I got upset because Wayne hadn't bought the right yoghurts; I managed to convince myself he didn't know me at all.
"It set off this spiral of negative thinking – if I disappeared, it wouldn't matter to anyone. In fact, it would make everybody's life easier. I felt that I was worthless, that I was ugly, that I didn't deserve anything.
"I had some counselling which helped for a while but then I stopped going when I felt better."
In October, Frankie was admitted to hospital to help her overcome the depression, ahead of The Saturdays’ UK arena tour in December, but she feared her fellow patients would judge her.
“I was so nervous, because I was "Frankie from The Saturdays". I didn't know if people would be horrible to me and say: 'You're in a successful girl band, you've got this great boyfriend, he's got loads of money.'
“But nobody judged me. Nobody thought I was weird.”
Frankie’s bandmates were also a great source of comfort and support and she managed to take part in the All Fired Up Tour, with only one panic attack.
She admitted: 'I did lose myself, but I feel like me again now. But I try not to put pressure on myself – it’s unrealistic, no one is 100 per cent happy all of the time.”
You can read the full interview with Frankie in the May issue of Glamour, on sale from Monday 2nd April.
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