Gok Wan had a "really, really tough time" during lockdown.

Gok Wan

Gok Wan

The 45-year-old presenter struggled isolating alone with just his dog Dolly for company and couldn't stop his thoughts from racing while spending so much time away from his loved ones.

Asked how he'd found lockdown, he told heat magazine: "I hated it and I still hate it. I hated having my liberty taken away from me.

"I hated having my family and friends taken away too. I am s*** with my own company and I don't trust my mind because it goes off into a million different places.

"I constantly feed off other people, and when I have't got that, I'm having to rely on myself. I had a really, really tough time of it."

Gok attempted to connect with his friends via video calling but didn't enjoy the experience.

He said: "We got everyone together one one call and it was s*** and I hated it.

"It was such a secondary option to actually seeing your friends and I really didn't like it. I found it really painful so we didn't do it again."

However, despite his struggles, the 'Say Yes to the Dress Lancashire' presenter did take some positives from being isolated.

He said: "I've basically got four full-tie jobs so I was so tired and so busy all the time. Then, all of a sudden, my world stopped. I couldn't use work as a form of escapism, so I had to sit and think and analyse what was going on in my world...

"I'd always had this slight hang-up of not being intelligent enough. I've tried my hardest to be an expert in different areas because I wanted to prove to people that I have a brain. I've become stronger and more confident as I've got older but there's still a niggly thing in the back of my head and I don't think I'll ever get over it.

"But, weirdly, lockdown helped in a way. It taught me to sit down and read every newspaper religiously. I watched documentaries and I formed an opinion about coronavirus....

"During lockdown, many people questioned their mental capability and personal strength, analysed relationships with friends and work - everything - and I was the same.

"But lovely things have come out of it too. I've been cooking up a storm and delivering food to my neighbours, and that kind of thing really brings communities together."

And it also taught Gok to realise he doesn't need to worry about not being in a relationship.

He added: Living alone, I didn't need to answer to anyone else and I can do what I want to do. Before lockdown, I would probably have spent the whole time saying, 'Arrrrghhh! Why am I still single?' But I haven't got any of that stuff going on now, I'm just really grateful I can see my mates."


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