Anthony Field has spent the past 30 years making children smile as the beloved Blue Wiggle, but behind closed doors the 58-year-old has been facing a devastating battle with depression.
The children’s entertainer recently opened up about his struggles in a video for men’s mental health campaign Movember, revealing he’s suffered from suicidal thoughts.
“My struggles with depression and other mental health issues are only a bad day or bad week away unless I monitor how I’m feeling and reach out and talk to close friends or medical professionals when I feel myself spiralling down,” he candidly said.
“It’s so important that men talk about their health, as we have a tendency to bottle things up. I’ve had personal experiences of mental health challenges and have seen the impact it can have when people don’t seek help.”
On an Instagram photo, the father-of-three encouraged his followers to be open about their mental health struggles.
“Let’s all come together to change the face of men’s health,” he captioned a photo of himself wearing an “I cry like a boss” jacket in support of the campaign.
“If you think not talking about your feelings is a boss move — you should try talking about them.
“I CRY LIKE A BOSS encourages men to seek out a mate, a professional, someone to have a talk to or just take some time to have a good cry. #worntobeheard.”
Anthony hopes to inspire other men to “seek out” a mate or a professional to have a talk to or “just take some time to have a good cry”.
“Crying and letting yourself cry in front of others is liberating and cathartic. I cried just last week thinking about a friend of mine who is so worried about his very ill wife,” he said.
Anthony has been candid about his depression for the better part of his career in the public eye, and previously admitted he’s struggled since his adolescence.
“You feel like you shouldn’t be on the earth, basically,” he told Ahn Do on ABC’s Anh’s Brush With Fame.
Anthony is the last remaining original member of The Wiggles.
(Image: Getty)“The scariest part is when you’re in that zone and you’re actually thinking about doing the worst thing possible you can do to yourself, you actually think that’s a release, and that it will be better.”
“[It’s like] you’re a waste of time,” he continued. “You’re in a crowd with people and you feel like you’re the only person who feels like that [it’s as if] they don’t understand me — no one gets to me.”
Anthony said his mental health took its first hit during his time at St Joseph’s College boarding school in Sydney.
“I mean, boarding school – things happen there which I won’t go into, but they were too much for a young teenager to cope with by yourself,” he told Ahn.
“You feel like you shouldn’t be on the earth, basically.”
(Image: Getty)“You’re away from your parents and as years rolled on I just started feeling bad about myself.”
His depression became so concerning that in the ’80s, when Anthony was part of the pub rock band The Cockroaches, Anthony’s dad started going on tour with them to make sure he was okay.
“It’s just when you come off stage you were back to being ‘Jeez!’ I’d be in the dressing rooms bloody bawling my eyes out by myself, after you’d just played to, you know, a couple of thousand people,” he said.
If you, or someone you know would like to have a free, confidential chat with someone they can trust, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or visit their website here.
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