Morning Live star Michelle Ackerley has opened up about the "mental battle" she faced during her early career due to her endometriosis symptoms.
Whilst chatting with host Natalie Anderson on The Capsule in Conversation podcast, Michelle revealed that when she was starting out in her career during her early 20s, she faced "a real mental struggle" whilst trying to conceal her symptoms at work.
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places. While cases vary, some women are badly affected and experience symptoms including severe period pain and nausea.
When asked how she managed to juggle her career with her tough symptoms, Michelle said: "It's a funny thing when I reflect back on it now. It's like those things in life where you think, 'How did I actually get through that?' It was hard. I'm not going to lie.
"I remember when I first started at the BBC, I was so excited about this new job opportunity, I was trying to prove myself and come in with this air of confidence," she explained.
Detailing her first work experience job, Michelle revealed that while she was determined to do her best, she was struggling with symptoms that were "bringing me down".
"It was a real mental struggle," said the 39-year-old. "It was a mental battle. This was back in 2005/2006, people weren't talking about women's health and in a weird way because nobody talked about it, I felt like I couldn't talk about it and I just had to get on with it, which isn't a great way to be because now we can speak openly and feel supportive.
"I think if I would have had that kind of support then, who knows, I could have progressed in different ways or felt a lot more settled in myself."
Expanding on her mental health at that time, Michelle continued: "It did come with a mental toll. I felt like I was trying to have this split personality where in front of people at work I would be this happy, bubbly, determined person but, especially if we would go out filming on location, I would get back to my hotel room and cry my eyes out and call my mum and say, 'I can't do this. How am I going to get through this?'
"It was very much a journey," she added.
Michelle, who recently became a permanent presenter on Morning Live, went on to explain that she underwent hormone replacement therapy injections, which caused side effects associated with the menopause, such as hot flushes.
"I didn't know how to explain it because as a twenty-something person how do I say, 'Sorry, I've just got a hot flush,' and then to try and take the time to go into all these things that you're feeling and these symptoms that you're trying to battle with. It almost kept me quiet because it felt like too much."