EXCLUSIVE: Charlene White reveals Loose Women struggle and sad move after dad’s shock death
Loose Women’s Charlene White has candidly opened up on her mental health struggles as she revealed the help she received from ITV and her co-stars
It’s been a tough few months for Loose Women’s Charlene White after, heartbreakingly, she lost her “amazing dad”, who was struggling with his mental health, in October 2025. She revealed that he had been “living with a dark cloud” over his head that he “couldn’t lift”.
Yet despite her grief, the 45-year-old mum of-two has an incredible resilience beneath the surface, though it’s an event that has shaped the way she now approaches both life and work. “What I underestimated is how difficult it is to go on air when you’re holding it together in front of hundreds of thousands of people,” she admits, quietly, when new Magazine caught up with her.
Charlene, who in April 2014 became the first Black woman to present ITV News At Ten, credits the channel for its support. “I work for an amazing company that has given me time when I’ve needed it,” she says. “When I’ve said, ‘This week isn’t a good week’, they’ve supported me.”
And she has now learned to put her mental health first. “We are strong when we need to be, but we also have to recognise when we’re not. There have been times when I’ve had to step back because I couldn’t be strong that week. That’s important knowing the difference between being strong and faking it,” she explains. “We are so lucky to be able to do a job we adore,” she adds, reflecting on her role on Loose Women, where she became a permanent anchor on in 2021.
“We’re lucky to sit on TV for 30 weeks a year now, talk to each other about all kinds of things, and keep each other company at lunchtime. We’re really blessed.”
It’s that perspective which defines Charlene. Whether she’s fronting the ITV Evening News or anchoring the Loose Women panel, she’s become one of the most trusted faces on British TV and a powerful voice when it comes to representation.
Diversity is a topic close to Charlene’s heart. “I talk a lot about diversity because I believe, working in broadcasting and the media, what happens in front of the camera and behind the camera should reflect society,” she says. “All views matter, all opinions matter. That’s the only way the industry can survive.”
It’s a passion that’s been evident throughout her career, and more so during her time on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!. But, Charlene laughs, “It wasn’t exactly a natural fit for me – I said no about six times. I didn’t think it was for me. I’m not an outdoorsy person. I thought it could be the death of me.”
What changed? “Covid. After everything we went through, I thought, if I can get through that with two young children, I can survive the jungle,” she says.
Family, as ever, sits at the centre of everything Charlene does. She shares her life with long-term partner Andy Woodfield, and they’re parents to Alfie, eight, and Florence, six. She calls the trio her “grounding force” through everything. “It’s teamwork,” she says.
“My partner and I have to work together to make it work. I love the work I do, he loves the work he does (he is publishing his second book), and we both love our children. Through our work, we can give them a life neither of us had growing up.”
But she doesn’t sugar-coat the juggle, either. “It is hard,” she says. “I don’t know how single parents do it. I take my hat off to them every single day.”
And are Alfie and Florence impressed by Mum being on TV? Charlene bursts out laughing. “They couldn’t care less,” she says. “Literally couldn’t care less. It’s just normal to them.”
Although there was one exception, she recalls. “My son did enjoy a red carpet recently, I took him to the Hoppers film premiere in Leicester Square, and there was a buffet of cakes and sweets, and I don’t say no!”
Her work family is important too. The bond between the Loose Women panel is something viewers often comment on, and it’s real, she insists. “We have a WhatsApp group, we chat constantly, we celebrate wins and support each other through losses. We are a family.”
That sense of unity has only strengthened as time’s gone on. “The OGs have opened their hearts to the newbies, and that shows the strength of the show,” she says. “We’re about supporting each other, and the audience can feel that.”
When we ask about her co-stars, her face lights up, especially when we mention Coleen Nolan. “If she’s doing Celebs Go Dating, she’ll be brilliant,” Charlene says. “The Coleen we see behind the scenes as well as on screen is brilliant. Anyone lucky enough to date her has struck gold.”
There’s a sense that family is even more important in the wake of her recent loss. This Easter, the Whites were heading to Jamaica for what Charlene calls “a holiday of two halves”.
“We’ve got a family wedding, but we’re also scattering my dad’s ashes,” she explains. “The most important thing is being with my family, sharing stories and being together.”
