Andrea McLean’s Bold Two-Word Jab at Loose Women Before Joining the Panel!

Andrea McLean recently opened up about her initial hesitation to join Loose Women, where she eventually became a beloved host for over a decade. In a candid conversation on Giovanna Fletcher’s Happy Mum Happy Baby podcast, Andrea recalled her first reaction to being asked to join the popular ITV show.

Initially gaining fame as a weather presenter on GMTV in 1997, Andrea quickly became a household name. As her career progressed, she was approached to appear on Loose Women as a guest panellist. However, she admitted she wasn’t thrilled with the idea at first, famously referring to the panel as “shouty women.”

Andrea shared that she received the offer on her first day back at GMTV after giving birth to her daughter, Amy. “On the very first day, I got a phone call saying, ‘Loose Women have been in touch, would you like to work on that show?’” Andrea explained. Her immediate response was, “No, absolutely not, that programme with the shouty ladies—I don’t want to go on that show”, reports the Express.

She elaborated on her initial hesitation, saying, “I’d been on it once as a guest and I’d been terrified.” However, when her agent clarified that the offer was to be the anchor, not just a panellist, Andrea reconsidered. “I thought, ‘Oh, I could do that, I could anchor.’ I couldn’t just be a panellist.”

Despite her early doubts, Andrea went on to host Loose Women for 13 years before stepping down in 2020. Recently, it was announced that the 54-year-old will be making a special return to the show to celebrate its 25th anniversary, according to The Express.

Reflecting on her time with the program, Andrea expressed her admiration for the show but also explained why it wasn’t always a perfect fit for her. “It’s obviously a brilliant show, and I was there for 13 years. I love that it has opinionated people who are prepared to stick to their guns, but I’m not like that.”

Beyond her work on Loose Women, Andrea has built an impressive TV career. She has appeared on Dancing on Ice, hosted Our House on UKTV Style, and participated in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Andrea married her third husband, Nick Feeney, in 2017 and is a proud mother of two children: son Finlay from her first marriage to Nick Green, and daughter Amy from her second marriage to Steve Toms.