Suranne Jones previously opened up about the devastating impact her mother’s death had on her mental health.
Actress Suranne has been a staple on screens since she shot to fame on Coronation Street way back in 2000. Since then, she’s remained booked and busy, starring in the likes of Doctor Foster and new ITV drama Frauds – which airs today (October 12).
However, in 2016, Suranne suffered a “big breakdown” following the death of her mother.
Suranne Jones on the death of her mum
In 2021, Suranne appeared on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast where she spoke openly about being on medication following the death of both her parents.
“In 2016 I had my son, at the end of February, and by the end of 2016 I lost my mum,” she said.
Suranne added: “What I did was I went into work because I thought, well, I’ll take a job because I want to show that I’m back in the game, which is a whole other conversation about mums, especially actresses, saying: ‘I can do it all, don’t write me off.’”
The actress went on to appear in the play Frozen in 2018. However, she confessed: “I had a very public breakdown on stage in front of the audience. And there was a build-up to it that I didn’t recognise.
“At that point, you would think I would stop, but instead I thought, it’s okay, I’ve got this brilliant opportunity – Gentleman Jack – I’m going to do it because I think it will help me. It did to a certain point because Anne Lister is such a beautiful character to portray.”
‘My husband did not know how to help me’
Suranne – who has been married to husband Laurence Akers since 2014 – continued: “So, after the first Gentleman Jack I had a really big breakdown and I was offered medication, and I took it.
“And I didn’t want to. Kicking and screaming, I took it, but I was so far gone by that point because I’d had the death of my mother and then I’d gone on to do two huge shows.
“And my husband did not know how to help me and we could see that all these things that I was trying to grasp on to to keep my life well and sorted weren’t working anymore.”
Suranne Jones admits ‘I wasn’t coping again’
Suranne then shared that she came off her medication for around a year. However, her dad was then diagnosed with Covid-19 and had to spend many months in the ICU before he sadly died.
She explained: “He didn’t make it, and eventually I got to say goodbye but in the full PPE. And then I got Covid myself at Christmas. At that point, I felt like I wasn’t coping again so I had to go on medication again.”
Suranne then said: “I think it’s important to say that I’m doing great and I’m still filming my job. And professionally I’ve always been really strong and on point.
“But I’m on medication. And at some point, I’ll aim to get off that. But I think there’s a huge taboo around it. I wasn’t going to say it but I decided last night I should because it’s important.”
series Suranne on Frauds on Sunday (October 12) at 9pm on ITV1.
Read more: Suranne Jones shuts down reports she’s going back to Coronation Street
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