Rebekah Vardy praised for revealing suicide attempt on I'm A Celeb

Rebekah Vardy shocked I'm A Celeb viewers last night by claiming she tried to commit suicide as a teenager.

The 35-year-old star, who shares five children with Leicester City striker Jamie from their own and past relationships, opened up about her struggles with mental health in a candid group chat in camp.

Vardy also claimed she endured "bad" postnatal depression after having her second child six years ago.

The conversation started when Stanley Johnson asked Iain Lee about his talkRadio show, which deals with mental health. Lee revealed that he speaks a lot about depression on air and that he has experienced suicidal thoughts first-hand.

He said: "We have phone-ins and we try to extract stories from the people that call in. We talk a lot about mental health and depression.

"I've had suicidal thoughts in the past. It is the biggest killer of men - suicide - between 30 and 45."

Vardy chipped in: "You draw from experience, don't you? I tried it when I was younger, when I was 14."

As her campmates looked on in shock, she continued: "I was at that age. It was something that was pushed under the carpet and it had such a bad effect on me. I made such horrific decisions in life."

Vardy has given birth to four children – Megan, 11, and Taylor, six, from previous relationships, and Sofia and baby son Finley, who was born in January, with her husband Jamie.

She went on: "I had really bad postnatal depression with my second. It's like Pandora's box opens and when it opens, you have to deal with it.

"It was a knock-on effect after that. I had CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy), which changes your brain's thought process.

"I had counselling and I was on anti-depressants for a while," she added.

While Johnson said it "broke his heart" to hear of her experience, Lee said he hoped support would become more common for his children's generation.

He said: "The mind is a powerful tool. If you let it run away with itself, it will do. I'm not proud that my head went that way, but it's not a weakness."

Viewers reacted positively on Twitter.

One person said: "@iainlee and @RebekahVardy talking openly about suicidal thoughts and depression is f****** huge by the way, you both have my love, gratitude and eternal respect #ImACeleb2017".

Added another: "Good on @iainlee & @RebekahVardy for being so open about #mentalhealth issues and suicidal thoughts. #itsgoodtotalk #ImACelebrity".

A third added: "@RebekahVardy openly talking about how she suffered with clinical and postnatal depression as well as openly admitting she had suicidal thoughts is honestly so reassurring to young people with mental health issues that they're not alone #ImACelebrity".

I'm A Celebrity continues tonight at 9pm on ITV.