‘I had to learn to speak again’ - Rylan Clark candidly opens up about his breakdown

Virgin Radio

6 Feb 2024, 12:58

Rylan Clark has bravely opened up about his struggles with his mental health in a candid new interview. 

(Trigger warning - suicide/depression) 

The X Factor star took an extended break from the spotlight in 2021. He attempted suicide and spent time in a psychiatric hospital after his six-year marriage to Dan Neal came to an end. Their split came after Rylan confessed to being unfaithful during the relationship. 

In an extremely personal interview with The Guardian, the TV presenter admitted: “I couldn’t understand why I pressed the nuclear button on my seemingly perfect life. And it’s only now I’m better that I realise it was the ejector seat I needed. Now I just wish I’d pressed that escape button earlier.”

According to Rylan, his illness got so bad he believed he “couldn’t get any iller,” and he ended up not being able to function. 

“I couldn’t speak,” he continued. “I had to learn to speak again, I had to learn to move again. It was like I’d had a stroke. I couldn’t understand anything. Nothing made sense to me. I couldn’t have the TV on and I couldn’t listen to music. All I could do was sit in silence. TV and music’s my job! I was f*****.”

While Rylan is thankfully doing much better, the Celebrity Big Brother star also admitted that his breakdown was one of the best things to happen to him. 

He added: “It’s made me who I am now. My only regret is I had to put my friends and family through it, and they had to watch me turn to nothing. Horrendous.”

When it came to his recovery, the This Morning host acknowledged that he didn’t experience “a lightbulb moment” but rather a distinct shift in thinking after he survived his suicide attempt. 

“I think the turning point was the fact that I didn’t die,” he said. “I wish I could give a better answer because if there was a turning point, I’d bottle it and dish it out free of charge.”

At Virgin Radio, we are committed to improving the wellbeing of our audience wherever possible. Whilst we ourselves are not Mental Health experts or qualified to directly assist those in need, we have compiled some useful resources to help point you in the right direction here.