Adam Collard admits pill addiction and depression battle in ‘hardest year’ of his life with pregnant fiancée Laura Woods
ADAM Collard has opened up about his secret battle with depression in 2024 - calling it "the hardest year of my life".
The Love Island star admitted to having a painkiller and sleeping pill addiction and struggling with his mental health in the same year he proposed to his pregnant girlfriend Laura Woods.
Adam, 29, bravely turned to therapy and anti-depressants when he was struggling most.
"This year was tough, tougher than ever before," he confessed to fans on Instagram.
Listing everything bad that happened to him in 2024, Adam said: "I struggled with my mental health more than ever. Lost something important. Struggled with injuries.
"I suffered with addiction to painkillers and sleeping pills and justified it as 'it doesn't affect fitness' or because it wasn't booze.
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"Got diagnosed with depression. Prescribed anti-depressants. Lost family. Drifted from certain friends. Tried to reach out to people and failed. Felt lost."
However, to inspire fans to keep going, he went on to say that it was also the "greatest year of my life".
Adam continued: "Remember you are always strong enough to reframe things and change the outcome."
I suffered with addiction to painkillers and sleeping pills and justified it as 'it doesn't affect fitness' or because it wasn't booze."
Adam Collard
He then listed all the difficulties he overcame, before revealing his biggest highlight as being Laura's pregnancy.
Adam said: "I started therapy and got over the fear of it. Travelled with people I love. Understood myself better and began to like me more.
"Reflected on things I'm proud of. Developed stronger friendships, made up with lost family. Proposed.
"Signed new contracts with brands I love. Went back on TV, got rid of people holding me back. Built a bigger business."
Adam ended by saying: "I found out I was going to be a dad. The highlight. Felt more love than ever."
The reality star added: "It isn't all sunshine and rainbows, but if you feel like you're losing everything, remember that trees lose their leaves every day and they still stand tall and wait for better days to come. Stay strong."
His fiance Laura commented underneath the Instagram post, telling him: "Amazing, Adam. All my love."
How Laura Woods tamed Love Island bad boy Adam Collard
HE was one of Love Island's most notorious bad boys - but one woman seems to have changed all that.
Personal trainer Adam Collard, 28, has been dating Euro 2024 presenter Laura Woods, 36, since 2023.
The former loverat has called her “The One,” spent Christmas with her - the first time he’s done so with a girlfriend since he was 21 - and kept their relationship relatively out of the limelight, seemingly on Laura’s wishes.
It’s a far cry from the man who admits himself he’s been “ruthless” in the past, claims to have had 25 girlfriends, and spent many years partying and juggling flings with girls including Zara McDermott and Lottie Moss.
Relationship expert Jo Hemmings says: “He’s now 28, he's a professional with a job, and I think he just went off the whole idea of ever realistically meeting somebody on a TV show.
“He's now met somebody who is also a professional, and is only on TV as a byproduct of what she does in sport.
“He’s got himself in a comfortable place. Financially, he's older, he's more mature, he's more settled.
“He once played into this roguish character that people saw him as, and became a parody of himself. But look who's laughing now.
“He's got a fabulous girlfriend, they're in a long term relationship, he's well off, he's still in the public eye, and he's getting on with his life in the way that I think he always wanted.”
Personal trainer Adam, 28, has been dating sports presenter Laura, 36, since 2023.
He proposed at "the place they fell in love" in September after getting down on one knee on a beach in Cornwall.
They had previously revealed they were expecting a baby in July, as Laura shared a picture of an ultrasound, complete with her French bulldog peeking over the top.
He's come a long way since 2018 when he was slammed as a love rat over his flings while finding fame on Love Island.
Adam then made history as the first star to return to the show as a bombshell in series eight.
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He made it to the final week of series eight with co-star Paige Thorne by turning the Welsh paramedic's head while she was coupled up with Jacques O'Neill who later walked out the villa.
Adam made her his girlfriend soon after leaving the show - but split months later.