Josh Widdicombe opens up about taking antidepressants for anxiety

The comedian said he felt ‘stressed’ and ‘fed up’ last year

Comedian Josh Widdicombe has revealed that he has started taking antidepressants to help with his anxiety.

Widdicombe, who is best known for appearing on The Last Leg, spoke about his experiences on the Parenting Hell podcast.

The 40-year-old co-hosts the audio show with 8 Out of 10 Cats star Rob Beckett. On the podcast, both comedians share their parenting woes.

In the latest episode, Widdicombe opened up to Beckett about his anxiety.

Towards the end of 2022, Widdicombe, according to Beckett, was “stretched beyond belief at home and at work”. Apparently, Widdicombe had committed to too many things, leading him to “not enjoying life and feeling stressed and fed up”.

“I was feeling incredibly anxious and depressed,” Widdicombe admitted.

He said he would have “good periods” but then “bad nights”.

“I was drinking to get to sleep when I was feeling bad, which is a very bad thing to do because it’s a depressant,” he added.

The comedian is best known for appearing on ‘The Last Leg’ (Getty Images for The National Lo)

Widdicombe recalled reaching a turning point with his anxiety while filming The Last Leg’s Christmas special in December 2022. He decided to see a GP and was then prescribed antidepressants.

“The reason I think it’s important to talk about it is because I was almost embarrassed by being on them,” Widdicombe said. At a party, he told two friends he was on medication, and it turned out that both of them were on the same medicines.

However, Widdicombe warned the medication is only an added support for recovering from anxiety.

“You can’t just go: ‘I took this pill, and I feel better’, because it’s not like that,” he noted.

“[Antidepressants] give me a safety net, or a cushion that allows me to function when it gets really tough and allows me to rebuild.”

He continued: “I’m not saying it’s long term, and you’ve got to try to change your life.”

According to UK Government statistics published in 2020, 7.3 million adults in the UK are on antidepressants.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.