Melinda Messenger, the 54-year-old former Page Three model and television presenter, said she fell into “really severe depression” after her marriage ended and she experienced a financial collapse, and that a pivotal dream led her to quit mainstream television and retrain as a psychotherapist.
Speaking to The Sun at an event promoting author Bianca Best’s book Big Impact without Burnout, Messenger described the period as a life crisis in which “everything fell apart. Literally.” She said the breakdown in her personal and financial life prompted an internal collapse and forced a reassessment of her working life: “Internally, I had a total collapse — really severe depression to the point where I was like… this is hard work.”
Messenger rose to public attention in the 1990s as a glamour model and went on to front television shows, including Channel 5’s Melinda’s Big Night In in 1998 and later presenting roles such as on Cowboy Builders. She has appeared on reality programmes including Celebrity Big Brother in 2002 and Dancing On Ice in 2009. Messenger said the demands of 18-hour workdays combined with raising three children contributed to pressure that she ultimately could not sustain.
After her marriage to Wayne Roberts ended — the couple split in 2012 — Messenger said she faced a series of financial setbacks that left her without the earnings she had accumulated. She said the combination of personal and financial upheaval, and a dream she interpreted as warning her of coming difficulties, convinced her to step away from the public eye.
Messenger retrained as a psychotherapist and has practised in that field since 2015. She is affiliated with the Dream Research Institute in London and works as a dream guide, helping people use their dreams to explore subconscious issues, she said. Her move into therapy represents a shift from visible broadcasting work to quieter professional practice focusing on mental health and dream work.
The broadcaster briefly returned to televised competition in 2023 when she appeared on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. On that show she met Dr. Raj Joshi, a survivalist and medic; the pair began a relationship that led to an engagement months later, but Messenger said the couple split six months after getting engaged.
Messenger has addressed the scrutiny that comes with a public profile, saying she had learned to compartmentalise her career but still felt constantly "exposed and visible." She has also defended her daughter Evie against claims of nepotism, posting that Evie is a student who is not a professional model or influencer, and joking that while Evie might not be opposed to being a “nepo baby,” she would prefer the “nepo pounds.”
Messenger’s account adds to broader conversations about the pressures faced by those who rise quickly in the entertainment industry and then confront personal crises. Her shift from mainstream television to psychotherapy and dream work reflects a move toward addressing mental-health concerns she said she struggled with following the end of her marriage and the loss of her financial security.