Good Morning Britain’s Sean Fletcher has opened up about his son’s long battle with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), a struggle he kept hidden from the public and his co-hosts.
Before appearing on Good Morning Britain, Sean would give himself a pep talk just moments before going live. He shared his struggle on the Mirror’s Outdoors in Mind podcast, which supports the Hats On For Mind campaign.
Sean said, “You have to go on and smile and pretend everything’s great, as no one wants to switch the telly on and have a miserable news presenter,” adding that he was essentially wearing a mask.
Before appearing on Good Morning Britain, Sean would give himself a pep talk
(Image: ITV)
His co-stars Susanna Reid, Charlotte Hawkins, and Kate Garraway were unaware of their colleague’s personal struggles.
The issues began when his then-14 year old son started struggling with his mental health. “He was unable to do basic things like get out of bed and go to school,” Sean revealed.
His son was eventually diagnosed with OCD, a condition characterised by recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviours that are difficult to control.
“The OCD was telling him that he shouldn’t do those things or something bad would happen,” Sean explained.
His son missed school for a year and spent six months in hospital and it took nearly a year to find the right clinician to help him.
Sean didn’t tell his Good Morning Britain co-stars
(Image: No credit)
Sean shared that the tough times at home with his son’s illness made his early mornings on Good Morning Britain even more challenging. He said, “I was really struggling…it’s really hard, you’re just tired all the time.”
He compared it to the exhaustion parents feel with a newborn: “It’s a bit like when you have a newborn, you can deal with problems when you have sleep, but when you don’t have sleep, the smallest things become big.”
Sean also noticed how it affected his work: “I look back and I think I’m a much better presenter now I don’t have this struggle that we had at home,” he reflected.
(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)
Good Morning Britain’s Sean revealed his dog had sadly died after being hit by a car
(Image: seanfletchertv / Instagram)
At the time, he felt like he was just trying to stay afloat. He also talked about not feeling able to share his struggles with his colleagues: “I immediately just clicked into the mode, which was ‘don’t talk about it, don’t talk about it, don’t talk about it'” he admitted.
Sean didn’t feel comfortable discussing his personal issues at work or anywhere else and shared that the silence is mainly due to the stigma around mental health, especially OCD. Now, Sean looks back at that time in his life seven years ago with a calm mindset.
With therapy and medication’s help, Sean’s 20 year old son is doing much better now and excelling at university, something Sean and his wife could not imagine before.
He is eager to raise awareness about how caring for someone with a mental health issue can affect and impact the entire family.
Last year, Sean shared how he was devastated when the family dog, Meg, had died after being hit by a car near his home. He had to appear on TV not long after finding out the news, saying he was ‘heartbroken
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