Frankie Bridge felt 'unhappy and anxious' – but now she knows she's 'not crazy'
Frankie Bridge, known for her time in The Saturdays, has opened up about her mental health, saying "Understanding my anxiety made me realise I'm not crazy".
Despite the glamour of her Instagram account, Frankie's life is far from non-stop parties and premieres. Instead, she spends most of her time at football pitches in casual clothes.
The 35-year-old, who is married to Wayne, 43, and mum to their sons Parker, 10, and Carter, eight, admitted that although she loves keeping fit, she admits her exercise routine is currently "non-existent at the minute". As the singer prepares for a skiing holiday with her family, she joked that "skiing is probably going to kill me".
Frankie, who also appears on Loose Women, hasn't been avoiding the gym out of laziness, but due to her growing acting career. After making her West End debut in '2:22 A Ghost Story' last August, she found it disrupted her routine. She told OK!: "I was in a good routine before I did the play, but it completely threw everything off and I've really struggled to get back into a routine since then."
Frankie has been open about her experience with therapy (Instagram/@frankiebridge)
Frankie and Wayne are parents to sons Parker, 10, and Carter, eight (Dave Benett/Getty Images)Despite her own struggles with training, her boys are "really sporty" and love football. Despite their dad being a former Manchester City player, Frankie says their interest in football didn't come from him. "Although Wayne played football, he's not someone who watches it all the time, so it's not on in the house," she shares.
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Frankie tells us her boys are very different, especially when it comes to eating habits. "I have two very different children," she explains. "I have one loves fruit and veg and then one who would eat beige foods and chocolate every day if I let him!"
She admits she was also a "fussy eater" as a child, but now puts less pressure on herself about her body image. "I think it's something that's always going to be in the back of my mind. I've always been that way inclined," she confesses. "I think especially with what I do as a job, you are more self-aware. But I genuinely am better with it now. Looking after myself is not just about working out or eating right. It's making sure I'm ticking off all the boxes that bring me joy throughout my day."
She adds: "I think for people that have a lot of self-image issues, some of that comes down to control and feeling like you've got all your ducks in a row. It's not always just about going to the gym."
Frankie has openly talked about her struggles with depression and anxiety and has written two books, Grow and Open, on the subject. She says learning more about these conditions has helped her cope.
"I've been open about the fact I have therapy and medication and things like that," she says. "When I was younger, I thought, 'I'm just this unhappy, anxious person and that's who I am.' When you understand that it's a medical thing, it makes you feel like you're not just crazy."
Frankie is doing great these days, with lots of exciting work stuff. She's working with Braun, sends out a weekly email with her top product picks, and wants to try acting.
"I want to try something on camera to see if there's a preference or not," she says. "So I'll be auditioning for things and see what happens."
She dreams of being in a fancy show like Bridgerton because of the amazing costumes. "I would love to be wearing something like that!" she says. With Girls Aloud back together, people wonder if The Saturdays might reunite. Frankie hints it's possible since they all keep in touch. "We're all on a group chat," she says. "We're always up to date with what we're all doing."
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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