The actress lost her father to suicide when she was just three-years-old and has dedicated the final episode of This Way Up to him to give hope and support to those suffering with mental health issues and grieving the loss of someone.
The actress shared an emotional post on Instagram honouring her father and encouraging anyone who struggles with grief to talk about it.
She said, “The last ep of series 2 of #ThisWayUp aired tonight. Out of all the episodes, I wrote this one for, & it is dedicated to my Dad, Brian, & to anyone who has lost someone to suicide & might not totally know how to talk about it. But it can eat you up like a worm in a compost bin if you don’t, I found, so it is worth trying, even if it feels mad to use jokes to help.
“I THINK it’s a hopeful episode & I hope I’ve not put you off watching it by mentioning the S word. I swear it IS a comedy & there is a Celine Dion impression I am pretty proud of at the end. I wish he could have seen it.
“To everyone who has gotten in touch off the back of the show, I am so sorry for your losses whether of people or minds, this year has been immensely difficult for so many people & sorry if it exhausted you or your loved one’s coping abilities. I may not reply, but do tend to see all the messages.
“And thanks so much for watching the show if you did & if you recommended it to other people.”
Laura Whitmore showed her support in the comments, leaving love heart emoji’s while Angela Scanlon wrote, “It made me sob. You do that very well!! So SO much hope in it, and so much softness too. Thank you for sharing your most vulnerable moments with us all xx”.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with grief or any mental health issues, you can call Pieta House at 1800 247 247.