Perrie Edwards admits thinking 'I might die' as she reveals why she can't be alone

Perrie Edwards has opened up about her ongoing struggle with panic disorder, revealing the condition has left her unable to spend time alone because she fears she will suffer from a life-threatening panic attack.

In an emotional interview on ’s Big Weekend, the former star welcomed the presenter into her home and spoke candidly about how anxiety has impacted her day-to-day life.

explained: "I’ve developed panic disorder. So it’s the fear of having a panic attack. A few years ago, I started suffering from severe panic attacks. I then developed a fear of having one again because I was like, if I'm on my own and have a panic attack, I might die, and nobody will be here to help."

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That fear now dictates how she lives her life. She added: "That’s why I’m never on my own. Never. I’m always with somebody. I don’t like the feeling of feeling like I’m gonna die."

Hammond looked shocked to hear that Edwards is never alone, and expressed how sympathetic she feels towards the singer. Edwards' mum also appeared in the segment and revealed that Perrie struggled with eating from birth.

Debbie sadly shared: "She couldn’t eat. Everything she ate, she vomited back out. She would choke on everything. Right from the day she was born, she’d vomit everything up. I saw doctor after doctor and they all said it was me that had the problem."

Eventually, medical professionals discovered that Perrie needed to have her oesophagus stretched. The procedure changed the pop star's life, as it enabled her to eat food that hadn't been blended into a smooth liquid for the first time.

"Being able to eat something and swallow it without it getting stuck was so bizarre to me. It was wild. I think that’s why I love food so much now," Perrie said with a laugh.

Perrie also lives with congenital anosmia (the inability to smell), which she was only diagnosed with after a terrifying childhood incident.

She previously revealed: "Our kitchen had set on fire. I saw the black smoke come under the door. I started coughing because it takes your breath away. But I couldn’t smell it." Doctors confirmed she was born without a sense of smell, which is a condition that only affects 1 in 10,000 people.

Despite these challenges, Perrie has managed to build a successful career for herself in the music . She rose rose to fame as a member of Little Mix after their win in 2011, and after the band went on hiatus in 2021, decided to become a solo artist.

Perrie is currently putting her finishing touches on her debut solo album, which she previously said would be released "early" in 2025. She has already put out her several singles, one of which made it into the Top Ten on the UK Singles Chart.

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