Michelle Dewberry made a heartfelt admission live on air as she opened up on her decade-long battle with depression.

The GB News star was discussing with her panel the news that job advisers will be placed in GP surgeries and mental health services in a bid to return 300,000 sick or disabled people back to work by 2030.

Work & Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden announced that too many people were being "failed" by being written off work for their health conditions, including those afflicted with mental health conditions.

Discussing the announcement, Michelle commented: "Very medicalised emotions, haven't we? Because to be human is to not be okay all of the time. It is you're not.

The GB News star shared her experience live on air

"Or if you think you're going to skip through life thinking that you're in, I don't know, The Sound of Music or whatever and everything, you're going to listen to birds whistling - that is not life.

"And if that's what you're expecting, you're in for a short, sharp shock."

Opening up on her own experience, the GB News star shared: "I mean, I've spoken about it before. I was diagnosed with suicidal ideation.

"And I'm telling you now, if you don't believe that depression exists, you could live in my mind. When I went through that, it was horrendous."

"I had that for years and years and years. A decade plus, a decade plus. I would have done anything to die.

"And I just didn't realise that I was not quite right upstairs.

"I was ill, but I see it now. But I didn't see it at the time. And thank God I'm out of that spirit.

"I'd do anything to live, let me tell you that for free. But it was awful. It was awful.

"But I always tried to get myself out. Because the moment that you actually succumb to that and you stay in bed and you're just wallowing."

By July earlier this year, more than 1.4million had claimed Pip for mental health issues, according to the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP).

As a result, the figure would make up approximately 39 per cent of all Pip claims over the course of spring 2025, with analysts noting a sharp jump on the rate since the global pandemic.

The Government has since announced £167.2million boost to the Connect to Work programme.

Michelle Dewberry spoke about her diagnosis

Mr McFadden said: "Writing off people with long-term health conditions or disabilities fails them and fails our economy.

"We are giving people a hand up, not a handout, realising their potential and providing them with the skills to succeed as part of our Plan for Change.

"Thanks to local areas hitting the ground running, it is already delivering results – proving that when we invest in people and communities, everyone wins."