Frankie Bridge has revealed she suffered her first panic attack in five years while on a trek across Namibia for Sport Relief during Thursday’s episode of Lorraine.
The former Saturday’s singer, 31, recently took part in a 100-mile expedition dubbed March For Your Mind in bid to raise money for mental health charities.
Frankie admitted that at one stage during the trek she felt ‘overwhelmed’ and started to feel like the beetles around her were laughing at her.
Candid: Frankie Bridge has revealed she suffered her first panic attack in five years while on a trek across Namibia for Sport Relief during Thursday’s episode of Lorraine
Detailing the experience, she said: ‘I had my first panic attack. Last one I had was five years ago. It happened on camera, like great, so typical.
‘The charity was about mental health, what better to way to know about it than seeing it, but it was not what I planned.’
When quizzed on why she thought it may have happened, Frankie said: ‘Out of fear. You handed yourself over to people, not knowing what I was doing or where I was.
‘At one point, I was on my own for a period of time, I got into my own head. We were in desert and nothing was alive other than beetles and I thought at one point the beetles were laughing at me, I got overwhelmed. I was gutted I had a panic attack.’
Charity: The former Saturday’s singer, 31, recently took part in a 100-mile expedition dubbed March For Your Mind in bid to raise money for mental health charities (pictured taking a rest while on the trek)
Struggles: Frankie admitted that at one stage during the trek she felt ‘overwhelmed’ and started to feel like the beetles around her were laughing at her
Detailing the experience, she said: ‘ I had my first panic attack. Last one I had was five years ago. It happened on camera, like great, so typical’
Frankie was joined on the expedition by Karim Zeroual, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Louise Minchin, Nick Grimshaw, Rob Rinder and Samantha Womack.
Discussing her bond with Nick, she said: ‘We were tent mates and we ended up becoming more like a married couple.
‘As much as I cried, I ended up laughing so much. He’s such a great person.
‘That’s why I do stuff, to push myself and make those friendships, no one else knows what it was like.’
Frankie said: ‘The charity was about mental health, what better to way to know about it than seeing it, but it was not what I planned’
Fearful: When quizzed on why she thought it may have happened, Frankie said: ‘Out of fear. You handed yourself over to people, not knowing what I was doing or where I was’
As well as raising money for mental health with the trek, Frankie has also written a book in the hope of helping other people with the same issues feel less alone.
She said: ‘You think no one’s going understand, completely alone and helpless, wrote book so people don’t feel alone and have a bit of help.
Discussing what it was like to revisit her struggles, she said: ‘It was more difficult than I thought. Seeing my doctors notes, there were things I’d forgotten and wasn’t aware of’
Frankie also touched on how she broaches the topic of mental health with her young children, Parker, six, and Carter, four, who she shares with husband Wayne.
Team! Frankie was joined on the expedition by Karim Zeroual, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Louise Minchin, Nick Grimshaw, Rob Rinder and Samantha Womack
She said: ‘Yes, they’re only four and six. If I’m ever unwell, They’re told ‘mummy’s unwell.
‘When we go to bed, we have a chat about their day and ask how they feel, like ‘what has made you happy today.’
Frankie has credited husband Wayne for his unwavering support as she battled with crippling anxiety and depression during the early stages of their relationship.
Friendship: Discussing her bond with Nick, she said: ‘We were tent mates and we ended up becoming more like a married couple’
She had been dating footballer Wayne for little more than 12-months when she admitted herself to The Nightingale Hospital, a private mental health facility and detox unit in the heart of central London, in a desperate bid to overcome her issues.
Frankie previously said the retired sportsman played a huge part in her recovery as she battled to pull herself away from her rock bottom in 2011.
During an appearance on This Morning last month, she said: ‘I had everything I’d always wanted, everything I’d always worked for, and to turn around to people and say actually I’m really unhappy, I just felt really ashamed of that.
She said: ‘As much as I cried, I ended up laughing so much. He’s such a great person. ‘That’s why I do stuff, to push myself and make those friendships, no one else knows what it was like’
Love: Frankie also touched on how she broaches the topic of mental health with her young children, Parker, six, and Carter, four, who she shares with husband Wayne
‘I was really lucky with Wayne because we’d only been together for about a year so he could have easily left if he wanted to, but he was a big part of my recovery.
‘He’s the person that spoke to my GP to get me into hospital, and he was still playing football at the time so he was travelling a lot, coming backwards and forwards to see me.’
After moving from Southampton to Chelsea and Manchester City, Wayne was on loan at London club West Ham United as Frankie began her road to recovery.
Strong: Frankie has credited husband Wayne for his unwavering support as she battled with crippling anxiety and depression during the early stages of their relationship (pictured January 2020)
History: She had been dating footballer Wayne for little more than 12-months when she admitted herself to The Nightingale Hospital, a private mental health facility and detox unit in the heart of central London, in a desperate bid to overcome her issues