Julia Bradbury tells of battle with depression

Former Countryfile star Julia Bradbury has spoken out about her battle with depression.

The TV presenter, 46, said she turned to a psychologist for help after struggles in her professional and personal life when she was in her thirties.

She told the Sunday Mirror: "Things came to a head. I was dealing with a stressful work relationship.

"There was a battle of wills going on and a romantic relationship that wasn't going very well. Also I had been diagnosed with endometriosis, which affected my moods. It all got on top of me."

The mother of three said she hopes sharing her experiences will help other people adding: "Everyone has bad times. My own experience with depression was serious enough for me to go to my doctor and ask for a referral.

"I went to see a psychologist for a few months and he was really good. It did help to talk to someone neutral.

"Sometimes you want to talk to someone outside your family who isn't even a friend because you don't want to be judged.

"I was still functioning but the counselling gave me support. It got me back on track."

Bradbury, who presents ITV's Britain's Best Walks, is now preparing to launch a campaign for the mental health charity MQ, calling for more research.