Andrea McLean has opened up about her health after being bedbound for six months due to repeated bouts of Covid and flu.
The former Loose Women presenter had Covid on three separate occasions before getting "absolutely throttled" by flu around Christmas, prompting her to get tested for lupus. However, the 53-year-old explained that doctors diagnosed her with long Covid.
She described the last few months as "rough" but said she's starting to feel better lately and is able to exercise again.
The ex-GMTV weather presenter told Bella magazine that she's been following the advice of friends who've said she should take vitamins.
"I've got lots of friends in the health space, so I take everything that they recommend," she said. "Any vitamins of supplements that people say 'try this' I take them. I currently take a lot of vitamin D, vitamin C and so on."
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Andrea admitted that her recent bouts of illnes had come as a shock as she was previously "already healthy".
She said: "I was doing everything that you're supposed to do, which was particularly unfair. But what I am really appreciative of it my leisure, because until you have something that is so debilitating you cannot walk the length of yourself.
"People say 'Oh I'm exhausted', but what I've experienced defies the definition of tired. I'd no energy - it's really hard to feel energised."
The TV star said she would get so worn out while simply walking with her husband that she'd start trailling behind and asking him to stop so she could rest.
Andrea also revealed that she'd gained weight because of her inactivity while she was poorly.
Though she said she could not be certain how heavier she got because she doesn't weigh herself, she could simply "feel it".
She added that she'd got to the point where she accepted the way she was feeling was her "life now" and it wasn't a case of how long it was going to last but instead called it a "life lesson".