Former Loose Women star Andrea McLean has revealed she was rushed to hospital after collapsing at home in December.
The presenter, who had been notably absent from social media, shared her harrowing health battle in a Substack column, detailing how she suffered from severe pneumonia, acute kidney injury and sepsis.
“My life is still not back to normal,” Andrea admitted.
The Loose Women veteran co-presented the ITV talk show from 2007 to 2020. She made a surprise appearance in 2024 to celebrate the show’s 25th anniversary.
Andrea McLean rushed to hospital
Andrea initially thought she had a bad case of the winter flu. But, as her symptoms worsened, she realised something was seriously wrong.
“After seven days of sweating and shivering, with a raging temperature and chills, and pain in my chest and back, my wee turned brown,” she wrote.
She then collapsed in the bathroom, lying on the floor for an hour before her husband, Nick Feeney, found her.
“Like the adverts you see on telly with the elderly, I lay there for an hour before my husband found me,” Andrea recalled.
After calling 999, paramedics struggled to get Andrea out of their home due to the narrow staircase leading to their loft bedroom.
“The stretcher couldn’t turn, so getting me out was challenging.”
Once in the hospital, doctors diagnosed her with severe pneumonia – which had already caused an 80% loss of capacity in one lung – as well as acute kidney injury and sepsis. Sepsis can be life-threatening.
Andrea was immediately put on IV drips with extra-strong antibiotics and fluids.
‘It was like something out of a warped horror movie’
Andrea spent time in both the Emergency Assessment Ward and the Respiratory Ward, where she encountered distressing conditions.
One of the most frightening experiences was being placed in a ward with elderly dementia patients.
The TV star described the experience as something out of a horror movie, feeling trapped in pain, unable to move, while a confused elderly patient tried to attack her.
“I was terrified,” she wrote. “It was like something out of a warped horror movie. I was trapped in a bed, in pain, unable to move, and a very scary old lady was trying to attack me.”
Despite everything, Andrea was full of praise for her husband, Nick Feeney. Nick visited her twice a day, bringing her home comforts such as headphones and helping transport her back and forth to the hospital for continued treatment.
“Nick’s life stopped for the first few weeks of the New Year, too,” Andrea mused.
His patience and dedication were crucial in helping Andrea navigate one of the scariest periods of her life.
As she continues her recovery at home, Andrea admitted that 2025 has yet to properly begin for her.
“Life stopped for a while, but that’s all. I’m not better yet, but I will be. And I can’t make that happen any faster than the time it will take,” she concluded.
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She was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, acute kidney injury and sepsis
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