Loose Women's Andrea McLean issues family update after she broke down over son leaving

Andrea McLean, who has two children, Finlay and Amy, and is married to Nick Feeney, explained that they'd moved back to London and had been "gathering children"

Andrea McLean has revealed that more children have joined her "blended family" and admitted that she broke down in tears when her son left home.

In an interview with the Change Makers podcast, published in Hello! magazine, the Loose Women star opened up about her son, Finlay, heading off to university and her reaction once he finally left the family home.

Andrea, who has two children, Finlay and Amy, has been married to her third husband, Nick Feeney, since 2017. She explained that they're now a "blended family" and had moved back to London.

The former GMTV weather presenter also revealed that she broke down after her son left home, but it would be a chance phone call that would ultimately reassure her.

Andrea said: "His dad was dropping him to uni in the car and I waved them goodbye, looking very cheery like: 'This is not a big deal, have fun!' As soon as the door shut, I went upstairs, sat on his bed and cried and cried and cried."

She continued: "But later, my phone rang and he said: 'Mum, I'm on my way back. I forgot a bag!' It reminded me that he's just going off to university and he's not gone for good.

"He's been in and out and now he's back again. We've come full circle. We're a blended family. We've moved back into London and my daughter goes to college here so she lives with us full time."

She went on to reveal that Nick's eldest daughter and her boyfriend are also living with the family, so they're "gathering children".

In September, it was reported that the TV star had discussed motherhood on an episode of the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast with Giovanna Fletcher.

During the conversation, she explained how she faced difficulties when she was talking about her divorces with her children. Andrea also revealed that she didn't tell anybody that she was "living at mum and dad's".

She said: "I commuted to Loose Women and never told anyone that I was now living at mum and dad's. And then I came back down to Surrey and I told [the kids] that [Steve] had gone away with work."

Andrea was initially married to producer Nick Green, who is Finlay's dad, before she married her Our House co-host Steve Toms, who is Amy's dad, in 2006, reports ChronicleLive.

It would be Donna May Clitheroe, the makeup artist on Loose Women, who would introduce Nick and Andrea after setting them up on a blind date.