Former star has opened up about a terrifying health scare she suffered in recent months that saw her rushed to hospital after collapsing at home.
The 54-year-old, who left the talk show in 2020, revealed that she had been suffering from flu symptoms in December before things took a dramatic turn for the worse.
On , Andrea shared that she initially dismissed her illness as a common winter bug and expected it to be over within a week.
However, after seven days of relentless fever, chills, and chest pain, she noticed a worrying sign – her urine had turned brown.
Shortly after, she collapsed in her bathroom and lay on the floor for an hour before her husband Nick Feeney found her.
Read more…
Andrea McLean was hospitalised at the start of this year (Image: Getty)
Following urgent advice from their GP, Andrea and Nick called 999, and paramedics quickly arrived at their home. She shared: “The ambulance team were amazing. My blood pressure was so low I couldn’t stand, and I was in a lot of pain. To be honest, I was barely aware of what was happening.”
After arriving at the hospital, Andrea was subjected to a battery of tests, including X-rays and CT scans. These revealed the severity of her condition.
She was diagnosed with severe pneumonia, acute kidney injury, and sepsis – which are three life-threatening complications that require immediate treatment.
“Things happened quickly; drips, super-strong antibiotics via IV and orally, and I was transferred to the Emergency Assessment Ward,” she wrote.
The TV personality has shared her gratitude for her husband who supported her through her illness (Image: Getty)
The television presenter spent several days in hospital, enduring what she described as a “fraught” experience.
She recounted sensory overload from the distressing noises of other patients, sleepless nights, and the overwhelming feeling of being in constant pain.
Her first night in the respiratory ward proved particularly unsettling. Andrea was sharing a bay with elderly patients, some of whom had dementia, and she recalled how one woman aggressively confronted her in the middle of the night, repeatedly yanking at the privacy curtain.
Throughout her hospital stay Andrea struggled with exhaustion, intense discomfort, and a loss of appetite. Her taste buds became hypersensitive, making it nearly impossible to enjoy food.
Eventually she was placed on stronger pain medication, which provided some relief. She fought for permission to go home, saying she needed a quieter environment to recover properly.
Don’t miss…
After negotiations with doctors, she was finally allowed to return home each night while continuing daily hospital visits for IV antibiotics and monitoring.
Looking back on her ordeal, Andrea has expressed deep gratitude for her husband’s unwavering support. She wrote: “Nick’s life stopped for the first few weeks of the new year too. He drove me to hospital every day, sat outside for hours, then drove me home, made dinner, and put me to bed. And then did it all again the next day.”
Now five weeks into her recovery, Andrea has admitted that she is still regaining her strength.
While the TV personality had anticipated a quicker return to normal life, she shared that a recent moment of laughter with Nick reminded her of the progress she has made.
She added: “We both looked at each other, shocked at the realisation that it was the first time I’d belly laughed for weeks.”