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Andrea McLean pretended to be this Loose Women co-star during height of anxiety

The mum-of-two revealed her secret battle with imposter syndrome


andrea mclean loose women
Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
July 13, 2020
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Andrea McLean has been incredibly candid about her battle with anxiety in the past. And now the Loose Women star has spoken in depth about her fight with imposter syndrome, revealing that it got so bad the only way she could make it through the daytime show was by pretending she was co-star Kaye Adams.

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WATCH: At home with Andrea McLean

Andrea, 50, said she felt the full effect of her condition during her early days on Loose Women, telling Nick Ede on the ImPODster Syndrome podcast: "I'd think, 'What would Kate Adams say?' That was the first time I'd massively felt imposter syndrome. I had to tell myself my bosses wouldn't have offered me the job if I couldn't do it."

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andrea mclean kaye adams

Loose Women co-stars Kaye Adams and Andrea

It's not something her spouse struggles with. "Nick, my husband, can walk up to anybody and leave as their best friend. I can't get over the nerves," Andrea added. "I grab the first drink I'm offered just to have something to hold, I stand against a wall and I end up talking to the waitress. To walk in normally and just talk to everybody? I can't do it."

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Andrea has been married to Nick since November 2017. She is a mum to son Finlay, 18, and 13-year-old daughter Amy from her previous relationships, and is also step-mother to Nick's two children, Tia-Lily, 17, and Sienna, 14.

andrea mclean children

Andrea is a proud mum to two children

The TV star recently spoke about her family on The Scrummy Mummies podcast, and admitted she fears for her eldest child. "Because Fin's a boy, and this sounds really strange, but I almost worry about him more," she shared.

MORE: Andrea McLean reveals why her wedding to Nick Feeney nearly didn't go ahead

"Because he is really tall and is really, really lovely and kind. And I worry that people will look at him and think he is easy to pick on as he clearly won't fight back.

"But you can't teach them to be a bruiser if they aren't and you don’t want them to be in case they start something. I text a lot to ask if he is okay."

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