Janet Street-Porter reveals she hit rock bottom as she shares painful struggle

Janet Street-Porter candidly opened up about her challenging year during Thursday's instalment of Loose Women.

In the programme, the panel kicked off their first ever 25-hour Talkathon to champion ITV and STVs Britain Get Talking initiative.

The campaign is dedicated to breaking down the stigmas surrounding mental health whilst generating awareness and crucial support for Mind, YoungMinds, and Scottish Action for Mental Health support lines and services.

During Thursday's show, the Loose Women stars opened up as part of a segment titled: "When did you finally admit you needed help?" Janet, 77, opened up about the challenging time before her hip operation earlier this year where she refused to accept help.

The presenter recounted: "With the hip replacement, I was so reluctant and it got to the point where I could hardly walk, I'd come in here and be a complete misery. I was not sleeping, my sleep was down to two or three hours a night.", reports the Mirror.

She disclosed: "Somehow having a knee replacement is more acceptable than a hip replacement, in my head anyway, hip you think: 'Having a hip replacement, I've joined the oldies, that's it, I'm in the last tiny bit of my life!' which is ridiculous really."

Janet went on: "I was told to have it back in March, I carried on, carried on, and the pain was excruciating."

When questioned about her reluctance to seek help, Janet conceded: "I'm very very proud and very secretive. Although you might think I'm a bit blabbermouth on Loose Women, I'm a bit like an iceberg.

"You're seeing a pointy bit at the top and there's two-thirds below ground. That's the best way of describing what I truly feel. I was absolutely at rock bottom."

Janet added it was her 'year of horror' in 2024, she continued: "Unable to walk, I stopped myself going out, I would turn down going to the theatre or the movies because I couldn't sit all the way through it. I'd be fidgeting around, annoying people.

"I felt like I was self-isolating, which is ridiculous, because Covid was over and there's no need for that. So I would stay at home and it was absolutely chronic. By the time I had the operation, I was in a bad way and I've recovered well."

However, Janet noted that her battle is still not over and she has to still work at her recovery, especially getting her fitness levels back and in the future she'll need to have another knee replacement.

Loose Women continues every weekday at 12:30pm on both ITV and ITV X.