Frankie Bridge revealed that she had coronavirus ‘at the beginning’ of the pandemic as she admitted that she is struggling with England’s second lockdown.
The Saturdays singer, 31, said that her and her husband Wayne, 40, had planned to come out of the four-week lockdown ‘lean and healthy’ but admitted that their plans have already ‘gone out the window’.
Speaking to Geordie Shore’s Vicky Pattison on her podcast The Secret To…, Frankie expressed her annoyance at people stockpiling toilet roll for the second time this year.
Covid: Frankie Bridge revealed that she had coronavirus ‘at the beginning’ of the pandemic as she admitted that she is struggling with England’s second lockdown
Vicky, 33, jokingly asked whether people who suffered from coronavirus ‘got the s**ts’, in a bid to try and explain why people were still panic buying toilet roll.
But in response, Frankie revealed: ‘I had corona, right at the beginning. I did not get the s**ts let me tell you.’
She continued: ‘Yesterday I just burst out crying. I was like: It is all so rubbish, What the hell is going on – I can’t believe it!
‘I went shopping and everyone is aggy, everyone is buying too much of everything. Everyone is buying toilet roll again, did we learn nothing for the last time.’
Struggling: The Saturdays singer, 31, admit that she found the first lockdown ‘really difficult’ and said that she is trying to celebrate the ‘small wins’ during November’s stay at home plea
The pop star went on to admit that she found the first lockdown ‘really difficult’, adding that she is trying to celebrate the ‘small wins’ during November’s stay at home plea.
But she jokingly admitted that she has already abandoned her healthy eating plan to enjoy snacking on mince pies ahead of Christmas.
She continued: ‘Me and Wayne have already said we are going to eat really healthily for the next four weeks and we are going to come out really lean and healthy.
‘I’ve already bought mince pies – I’ve already had two. It is all going out the window already.’
Speaking before lockdown came into force, Frankie expressed her worry that the four-week lockdown would be ‘a lot harder’ due to the wintery weather.
Goals: Frankie said she and her husband Wayne, 40, planned to be ‘lean and healthy’ during the four-week lockdown, but admitted their plan has already ‘gone out the window
She explained: ‘I am in the middle of writing a second book and I’ve written two paragraphs. Yes I have been good with working out but that helps me mentally to get through everything. It gives me a small win every day.’
The former S Club 8 band member continued to open up about her six year marriage with former footballer Wayne, who she shares two sons, Parker, seven, and Carter, five, with.
But she revealed their relationship ‘is not as easy as it looks’ as she told Vicky that they have had to ‘grow up together’ after meeting when they were in their early 20s.
She said: ‘It is not as easy as it looks. We have been together for nearly 10 years now.
‘I met Wayne when I had just turned 22. I have changed so much in that time. A lot has changed in that time. We have kind of grown up together.’
The TV star, who has always been open in talking about her anxiety, also explained that it was a learning curve for Wayne not to take her mental health ‘personally’.
She spoke in detail about her struggles with depression and panic attacks, describing her anxiety as a ‘constant overwhelming deep thinking’.
She continued: ‘With my mental health – Wayne has had to learn not to take that personally. To not think he has done wrong. Or that he is not making me happy.
‘And I have learnt to say: I am not feeling it today or I need you to take the kids today, I can’t handle it. Or you have really pissed me off today.
‘You just have to learn to say it. It has taken us a long time to get to that point. We don’t always get it right but it has made a massive difference.
Family: The former S Club 8 band member opened up about her six year marriage with former footballer Wayne, who she shares two sons, Parker, seven, and Carter, five, with
‘He has had to learn. I am not asking him to fix anything, I am just asking him to sit and listen.’
Earlier this year, Frankie was praised by her fans for speaking openly about her mental health on social media after she battled with her anxiety on Sport Relief.
The former Strictly Come Dancing star had a panic attack on TV while filming the BBC One special, which was deemed Sport Relief’s ‘most brutal challenge yet’.
Reflecting back on her experience, Frankie said: ‘I did Sport Relief and we did 100 miles in Namibia – I wasn’t really coping, I started panic.
‘I had a panic attack on TV. I hadn’t had one for 7 years.
Mental health: Frankie, who has always been open in talking about her anxiety, explained that it was a learning curve for Wayne not to take her mental health ‘personally’
‘I was disappointed that I had one. I should have given into the anxiety and I kept ignoring it.
‘You have to embrace it and feel the feelings.’
It comes after Frankie recently revealed she has decided to start taking anti-anxiety medication to help her mental health.
Frankie has always been open about her experiences with depression and anxiety, and in the past has taken medication.
But after a period without, Frankie has revealed she started taking anti-anxiety drugs this year after struggling during the global pandemic.
She took part in an Instagram question and answer with her 1.2m followers where one fan asked her if she had changed anything to support her mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Panic attack: Earlier this year, Frankie was praised by her fans for speaking openly about her mental health on social media after she battled with her anxiety on Sport Relief (above)
She wrote: ‘Mainly exercise tbh. But it’s not always easy. I’m trying to be disciplined rather than rely on motivation.
‘Recently started anti anxiety medication again and added other coping strategies including ‘trying to avoid the news when I can and staying in touch with friends and family as much as poss.’
Frankie has spoken openly about her mental health, and in the past revealed she suffered a breakdown during the height of her singing career with The Saturdays.
She also recently published a bestselling book, Open, which discusses her experiences, including the time she had to be hospitalised with depression in 2011.
Speaking to the MailOnline earlier this year, the star explained that while she found lockdown relatively easy, she did have anxiety about it coming to an end over the summer.
Past: Frankie has spoken openly about her mental health, and in the past revealed she suffered a breakdown during the height of her singing career with The Saturdays (pictured in 2009)
She said: ‘It wasn’t too bad for me. It took away any of my anxieties. Not leaving the house or not stressing about any social anxieties or anything like that.
‘My anxiety was more about coming out of lockdown. Change is hard. I am someone that suffers from anxiety and there will be people who won’t suffer from it usually that will at the moment. You just have to be kind to yourself right now.
‘You just have to accept the rules that are being given. If you stick to those, I think you feel safe and you have to accept that things are put in place to help you feel safe but also, be easy on yourself.’
She added: ‘It’s hard to kind of get up and have a point to each day. To be forced to slow down like that, it takes a while to ease into it.
‘I think it was hard. But after a while I just thought, this is the time to break the routine. We’ve been forced into this situation.’