Frankie Bridge says husband Wayne’s support during her depression battle strengthened their marriage
FORMER The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge has been open about her battle with depression – and now she’s told how hubby Wayne’s handling of it has strengthened their marriage.
The successful author and mental health podcaster has revealed that the former England footballer has learned how to deal with her illness.
The mum-of-two, who had a breakdown and spent time in a psychiatric hospital at the end of 2011, said: “We’ve been together ten years and I would say we’ve only really got better at communicating in the last couple of years.
“I had my breakdown right early on, it was in our first year of our relationship together and he was amazing.
“He could’ve run for the hills, but he didn’t. He stuck around and he tried to learn as much as he could through my therapists and doctors at the time. It was a real stress for him.
“I carried on with work, and life just moved on and we never really discussed it, as such.
“Not that it was like a ‘hush-hush subject’, but I guess we just moved on from it all.
“And it’s only really over the last few years, and as I’ve got older, that I understand myself more. I know what I need from someone now in that situation and I know how to ask for it.”
Frankie added that she didn’t expect Wayne “to fix her” when she was struggling.
She said: “Nine times out of ten, no one can fix what I’m anxious about or what I’m depressed about.
“So I’m not looking for answers from him. I want him to either listen or give me a hug, or to go and take the kids and sort them out so that I don’t have to. And now all I have to do is cry and know I just need to cry and get it out.
“Or I just say, ‘Look I’m feeling really rubbish today’ and he just kind of does it.”
Last year Frankie released her self-help book, Open: Why Asking For Help Can Save Your Life, which revealed how she had been suicidal.
Speaking on the Made By Mammas podcast, Frankie added: “He’s had to learn not to take it personally.
“It’s not him that’s making me unhappy, it’s not our relationship that’s making me unhappy, it’s just my depression. And I feel for him because that must be really hard.
“I know when he’s having a bit of a rubbish day you can’t help but take it personally.”
The couple, who wed in 2014, grew a fanbase on social media video app TikTok with their energetic dance routines during lockdown.
Vicky is bagging out Anna
VICKY Pattison has taken a swipe at fellow Love Islander Anna Vakili for making her chief handbag holder at an awards do.
Recounting the moment she met the fellow reality star, former I’m A Celeb winner Vicky recalled: “I said to Anna, ‘It is so lovely to meet you, I am such a huge fan’.
“And she just handed me her handbag so I could hold it while she took a photo with someone.
“I just stood there thinking, ‘I am Vicky f*g Pattison. I won the jungle a few years ago and here I am holding Anna Vakili’s handbag. Have I fallen that far?’
“It wasn’t a great moment for me ego-wise but we all need to be brought back to earth sometimes.”
Remind us never to leave our handbag in Vicky’s clutches.
Going to get leathered, Pixie?
PIXIE LOTT sees off the final few days of her twenties with this cheeky Instagram snap.
The Voice Kids judge sent fans wild by posing in tiny leather shorts and a halterneck knitted jumper ahead of her 30th birthday on Tuesday.
A source close to the star told us: “Pixie is having a very low-key affair with fiancé Oliver Cheshire. It’s not quite the celebration she anticipated but she’s hopeful OIi will cook something tasty while keeping the kitchen intact.”
Meanwhile, the singer is keeping busy during lockdown – working on her next record.
The source added: “She can’t wait to drop her next album which she’s written herself with a very small intimate team. It’s nearly finished so fans should be able to hear it soon.”
Not a bad start to the New Year, then?
Bianca's scarred
BIANCA Gascoigne is still scarred after Alicia Douvall criticised her weight in the original Love Island.
The women starred on the celebrity version of the series in 2006 and clashed on camera.
Bianca revealed: “I was absolutely humiliated and devastated. You’re in there for eight weeks and there’s nothing to do but eat.
“She came up to me and said, ‘You’re one cupcake away from obesity’. I was heartbroken, it felt like my weight issue was highlighted.
“I’m a girls’ girl, so I didn’t understand where it came from. It’s mind-boggling. I was super-upset and it really affected me. My friends and family were disgusted.”
Adele boss Jonathan is rolling in it
FORGET Skyfall, Adele’s manager landed a windfall despite the superstar singer not releasing a record in the last five years.
Jonathan Dickins is raking in £27,457 a day having received dividends of £10,021,967 from his firm, according to recently filed accounts.
That’s just under £200,000 a week and £6million more than Rolling In The Deep singer Adele was able to pay herself from two of her companies in 2019. The figures are down from the £14.4million she received in 2018.
Her manager’s firm – September Management Ltd – revealed in books filed last month that it has cash and assets worth £29.7million.
The cash reserves alone stand at £18.4million – up £2million on 2018. And Jonathan is keen for Adele to release her long-awaited follow up to hit album 25.
When quizzed about her new music in the summer, he said: “The sooner it comes out, the better.”
We’re sure her fans would agree.
Overtones keen for a bum pinch
THE Overtones are itching to tour again in November – even if it means getting their bums pinched.
In an exclusive interview, Mike Crawshaw told us: “We often go out into the audience and have a bit of a boogie with our fans and don’t get me wrong, we’ll be getting on stage and telling the audience ‘There were a few bum pinches there!’ We don’t mind though, it’s all part and parcel of gigging.”
The vocal harmony group, who performed at The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, even won over Her Majesty.
Mike added: “We caught up with Prince William after the show and he told us that ‘his granny’ must have liked it cause she took her earplugs out to listen to us.”
High praise, indeed
Sam Smith sees cash drop £7m
WE’VE all been guilty of online shopping during lockdown – there’s not much else to do.
But Sam Smith appears to have blown almost £7million while out of the limelight for three years. New accounts for the singer’s main company, Sam Smith World, show the amount has dropped from £7.1million to £313,000.
Perhaps the money was spent decking out the star’s new £12million five-bed, Grade II-listed mansion in an exclusive district of North London, bought in 2019.
It is less than a mile from the 18th-century townhouse Sam bought in 2015, next door to pop star Boy George.
The non-binary star was last year named in the annual Sunday Times Rich List, credited with a £33million fortune.
And with cash rolling in from last year’s album Love Goes, Sam’s company coffers will soon be bulging again.
Comic icon is no has-Bean
MR Bean could be making a comeback.
We can exclusively reveal that the show’s co-writer Richard Curtis is working on an updated version of the hapless funnyman played by Rowan Atkinson, inset. But the character, who staggered on to screens 30 years ago, is set to be even grumpier with age.
Richard said: “Old Bean is what we’re now thinking of doing. He’s always had a kind of grumpy selfishness which might adapt well.”
On tonight’s ITV celebratory documentary, Happy Birthday Mr Bean, at 8pm, viewers can relive some of his funniest clips.
Rowan added: “I still find him funny and I think I can still perform him. You must never say never.”
A return of Mr Bean might just be the antidote we’re all after.
Cabin stars holding out
ONE of the new recruits to ITV2’s The Cabins has vowed to bring some respectability to the show – despite two of the contestants already getting steamy on Thursday night.
Terelle who enters the show tomorrow, says there will be no “hanky panky” while he appears on screens.
Asked about dealing with the cameras, he replied: “I’m super confident. I don’t think it will bother me to be fair. In the back of my head, the ‘hanky panky’ can’t happen, that’s for sure.
“Normal stuff like kissing and holding hands, that’s OK.”
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Meanwhile, viewers saw contestants Sarah and Charlotte getting frisky under the duvet on Thursday’s episode.
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Tomorrow Terelle will be joined by PR executive Amani Bouri for their 24-hour date in the cabin.
As a PR girl, she’ll have no problem dealing with her new-found fame.
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