‘My OCD made me think I had cheated on my boyfriend’ reveals Helen Flanagan as she opens up about her mental health battles on the Life of Bryony podcast

Helen Flanagan has revealed that her intrusive thoughts once got so bad that she thought she had cheated on her boyfriend, even though she hadn’t.

Speaking on The Mail The Life of Bryony Podcastshe revealed she was also ‘off her face’ due to medication when she was in the I’m A Celebrity jungle aged 22.

Speaking to Bryony Gordon, she said: ‘I remember being out, I think I was struggling postnatally, I remember being on a night out, my first night out since I had Matilda and wearing red lipstick was wearing and I saw there was a man there and he had some kind of red lipstick mark on his face.

“And for some reason when I got home my OCD told me I slept with him on the toilet and I cheated on Scott and didn’t even get close to the guy. All I saw was a red lipstick mark on his face.”

The TV personality shares Matilda, nine, Delilah, six, and Charlie, three, with ex-fiance and Bristol Rovers player Scott Sinclair.

Helen split from fiancé Scott in October 2022 after 13 years together, four of which they were engaged.

She has previously opened up about having postpartum depression, OCD and intrusive thoughts, as well as having ADHD.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD, is a developmental disorder that affects a person’s behavior and ability to function.

While obsessive-compulsive disorder, known as OCD, is a mental health condition that causes people to experience unwanted, repetitive thoughts and behaviors.

Relationship OCD can also cause persistent intrusive thoughts and behaviors related to personal relationships.

In March this year, Helen revealed she was diagnosed with psychosis after having a ‘bad reaction’ to her ADHD medication.

“I don’t know if you know the drug,” she told The Life of Bryony podcast.

‘It’s like Concerta Ritalin for ADHD. So I got that from the priory when I was 16 as an outpatient for ADHD.

‘I had been taking this drug but I was taking it on and off, the last time I took it it actually gave me a psychosis.

‘I was really bad.

I think it actually let me down.

‘I think it gave me panic attacks. I think it gave me anxiety. I think it made me tense when I didn’t have to.’

Helen revealed she took the medication three times a day while in the jungle on I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here in 2017, where she came seventh.

“I took it with me when I went into the jungle at the age of 22,” she said.

‘I actually took that three times a day.

‘It’s actually speed. I took it three times a day like it wasn’t food, which I shouldn’t. And I think it put me on edge.

“So when I did all the trials, I tried them all, because if you didn’t laugh, you would cry.”

When asked by Bryony if there was a duty of care on the part of the producers, she said: ‘But you know, ten years ago I passed all the tests.

“But yeah, it was a bit weird actually.”

The Life of Bryony is a compelling new podcast series, in which Bryony Gordon delves into the messier parts of life alongside celebrity guests. Available wherever you listen to podcasts, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

DON’T MISS the full interview with Helen Flanagan on the latest episode of the popular Mail podcast. Now look for The Life of Bryony wherever you get your podcasts.