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Countryfile host Ben Fogle opened up about a devastating loss (Image: GETTY)
Ben Fogle's wife Marina was rushed to hospital in Austria and delivered their stillborn son Willem in 2014 when he was just 33 weeks.
The Countryfile presenter, 51, admitted he struggled to cope with their loss and felt "utterly helpless".
At the time she was admitted to the hospital, he was in Canada, thousands of miles away from his other half.
He and Marina had already been heartbroken by a miscarriage in 2008 before having their son Ludo, 15, in 2009 and daughter Iona, 14, in 2011.
Ben revealed the loss eventually led to the mental health breakdown he suffered last year.
Ben Fogle suffered a mental breakdown last year (Image: Getty)
"A number of years ago, my wife and I lost a son, who was stillborn," he explained on the High Performance podcast. "And it's amazing how you deal with a loss like that. My wife Marina was very raw with her emotions. Mine were much more measured."
He continued: "It doesn't mean I felt it any less, but I probably kept them within.
"And one of the big things that happened to me was that I became obsessed about control because I'd lost control there. I was actually in Canada when it happened, and I had to take a flight to get back.
"I didn't know if my wife was going to survive."
Ben Fogle and his wife Marina share a son and daughter together (Image: Getty)
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Ben Fogle and his wife Marina tied the knot in 2006 (Image: Getty)
"A number of years ago, my wife and I lost a son, who was stillborn," he explained on the High Performance podcast. "And it's amazing how you deal with a loss like that. My wife Marina was very raw with her emotions. Mine were much more measured."
He continued: "It doesn't mean I felt it any less, but I probably kept them within.
"And one of the big things that happened to me was that I became obsessed about control because I'd lost control there. I was actually in Canada when it happened, and I had to take a flight to get back.
"I didn't know if my wife was going to survive."
The travel presenter said that he decided to share his struggles as it felt it was vital to be as open about his mental health woes as he has been about physical ones.
Ben wrote: "A year ago, I suffered a mental health wobble. An episode. A storm. A blip
"I don't know if there is a specific term for it, but it was basically a burnt out break down. I've been on quite a journey since. I've learnt a lot about my neurological uniquenesses."
He added, "And I've navigated the storm. Through a mix of CBT, medicine, and now some alternative therapies I feel like my old self."
The Countryfile presenter has been married to his wife Marina since 2006.
If you have been affected by this story, contact the Samaritans, call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
English (US) ·