Shona McGarty details 'horrible' depression battle
Shona McGarty has gone through a "horrible" time with depression and anxiety but therapy and medication have helped.
Shona McGarty has gone through a "horrible" time with depression and anxiety.
The 34-year-old actress - who shot to fame when she was just 16 playing Whitney Dean in EastEnders - admitted trying to hide her emotions as a young performer took a toll on her, but she's found medication and therapy very helpful.
She told The Sun newspaper: “It’s been horrible.
“It’s been quite hard sometimes, and I’m sure a lot of people can relate.
“Being in an industry at such a young age, when people ask you, ‘Are you OK?’, you have to say you’re fine.
“That was the way I was taught. You just say, ‘fine’ and you fake it till you make it, kind of thing.
“But that can take its toll on you, and I think it did.
“I’ve had a little bit of therapy, I take anxiety and depression medication, which has really helped me."
Shona admitted growing up in the public eye has been a "very strange" experience.
She added: “Growing up on the telly, it is hard because your life changes.
“People recognise you and it’s very strange.
“I think the public just expects you to be OK and that you must be a very happy person, very confident all the time because you’re an actress and that’s what you do.
“But we’re all human and that’s not true, necessarily.”
The actress quit EastEnders in 2023 and will appear on the new series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, which she says will mark a "new chapter" in her life.
And Shona hopes she can raise awareness of mental health struggles during her time in the jungle.
She added: “I think it’s really important to talk about it.”
I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! - which will also feature the likes of Kelly Brook, Jack Osbourne and Lisa Riley - returns to TV on Sunday (16.11.25) night.
