Inside Mel Giedroyc's life off-screen - Health battle and being 'wiped out financially'

Mel Giedroyc is back on our screens tonight, but she's previously opened up about the "dark side'" of her health battle and spoke honestly about financial hardship

Beloved comedian and television presenter Mel Giedroyc is set to host a new ITV game show called Pictionary. The launch date for this prime time series has yet to be be confirmed by ITV bosses.

The show will aim to reinvent the classic drawing game that involves quick sketches and humorous guesses all while adhering to the original rules of Pictionary, which was first introduced in 1985.

Mel expressed her excitement about hosting Pictionary, stating: "Everyone is familiar with Pictionary, and I am so excited to help bring the game to life on television. It is such a pleasure to be a part of and I know people will love the show."

With the hype about Mel returning to screens once more after a brief hiatus, we couldn't help but ponder a thought for the host's on-screen and personal life.

Other than fronting The Great British Bake Off alongside her television partner Sue Perkins, what do we all really know about Mel?

From "dark side" health woes and being "financially wiped out" after losing a huge contract, with the mum-of-two falling on hard times while learning a huge life lesson, we find out all.

Early career

Mel was introduced to her future on-screen partner Sue Perkins at the University of Cambridge and their friendship became pivotal for their entire future.

Not only did the pair make each other laugh out loud but their banter proved to be infectious as they received roars from the crowds at Cambridge Footlights comedy club.

The pair went on to crack the entertainment industry together. They were even awarded Best Newcomers Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1993, which in turn got them noticed for their next big gig, French and Saunders.

It wasn't until 1996 that the pair would bag their biggest career high, with the pair teaming up again to front the comedy chat show Light Lunch.

After two seasons, the programme came to a close and while the pair would have liked it to have gone on for longer they were able to appreciate having one another in their lives.

In an interview with The Guardian, they commented: "We're each the trampoline upon which the other one bounces." Mel added: "When we work together, we revert to being 19 again, which is bloody annoying for anyone around us because we've so much shared history and comedy."

Health woes

The former Great British Bake Off host has always been open and transparent when it comes to matters of health, especially previously her struggles with the menopause.

Despite being a cherished figure on our screens, she admitted that life isn't always filled with laughter. In a past interview with the Independent, Mel once stated that only her closest loved ones know what life is really like while going through the menopause.

"I do have a dark side. Only my husband, children, close friends and family ever get to see it," she confessed. "I wouldn't say I go into deep dark black dog depression I'm fortunate in that regard, but everyone experiences highs and lows and I always strive to remain optimistic."

Mel faces the common struggles of exhaustion, pressure, and a demanding work life, sharing that it can sometimes lead to her "spiral quite badly".

Financial burnout

Mel was honest about learning a valuable life lesson with matters relating to money after she was burned early on in her career. The comedian and presenter, shot to fame quickly after helping out with the popular French and Saunders comedy series.

After much success early on Mel had more money rolling in that she could have ever imagined and went out house shopping, purchasing a property for £500,000 believing she'd have enough money to always pay the bills - and she was wrong.

The TV star caught the eye of well known bread brand Kingsmill and they struck up a deal for her and Sue to voice over two adverts a year - she was under the assumption that arrangement would persist but an unforeseen letter abruptly landed and changed everything.

Speaking about that moment with the Metro, she said: "I had the girls [daughters Vita and Florence] and I thought, 'This is great! I can be a stay-at-home mum and do the odd advert and keep the coffers going and life is good'. Then a letter came through the door saying, 'We don't need you any more for the advert' and that was it. We were wiped out financially."

The crashing news meant that in order to not go bankrupt Mel and her husband TV director Ben Morris made a decision to downgrade to a two bedroom rented flat with their two daughters.

Having learned a hard lesson, Mel lives within her means and has taken an important lesson from the situation. "[You learn] through these awful experiences that there is more to life than the trappings of wealth," she shared in the same interview.

Great British Bake Off prediction

Mel has been refreshingly honest in admitting that part of the reason she agreed to the Great British Bake Off in 2010 was to help her recover from her financial struggles and that had zero faith in it ever being a successful.

Chatting with the Metro, she revealed: "At first, I thought: 'Isn't this just another cookery show? I thought it would go under the radar but I needed the work and it was a chance to work with Sue again."

Her prediction couldn't have been further from the truth, and the BBC series has become a cultural phenomenon. Mel and Sue set the tone early for the fun innuendo-filled vibe that has become synonymous with the baking contest.

They stayed for seven years before passing the baton on to Noel Fielding and Sandi Toksvig - who has now been replaced by This Morning's Alison Hammond, after the programme moved to Channel 4.

Pictionary, the TV adaptation, is scheduled to premiere on Monday, December 23rd at 5:30pm on ITV1 and ITVX.