"I was terrible at asking for help, I just didn’t know how to do it," Miranda Hart says as she speaks candidly about her struggles with chronic illness

Miranda Hart has opened up about her struggles with chronic illness, with fans praising her for 'raising awareness' and being so 'honest' about her experiences.

I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You. That's the title of Miranda Hart's new memoir and immediately, from the very start, we know it's going to be a book that's filled with candid, tear-jerking insight into her life.

The comedienne has always been refreshingly relatable, but now she's taking it to a new level as she opens up about living with a chronic illness and the chronic fatigue that comes with it. It's something she has long struggled with behind the scenes, she said, and now she's ready to open up and talk about it with her fans and the wider public.

Appearing on This Morning to promote the book, she revealed that while she speaks about chronic illness throughout the writing, her struggles are something that everyone can learn from no matter what condition their health is in.

"What I went through was a chronic illness, but I think applies [to everyone.] I've had loads of friends saying to me, 'Gosh, this really resonates,'" she said.

"It's little things like how often we say sorry. All these little things, micro things, that are exhausting. Or just what vulnerability actually is. I thought I was quite good at vulnerable because, you know, I was a silly creative and kind of happy to fart in public. Isn't that being vulnerable?"

But she realised after her diagnosis, just how guarded she really was and is now keen to help others on their own journeys of self-reflection. "I was terrible at asking for help, I just didn’t know how to do it."

I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest with You | Was £25, Now £12.50 at Amazon

Sharing the details of her 'unexpectedly difficult decade' struggling with chronic fatigue, Miranda reveals the 'challenging lows, deep revelations' and also the 'surprising joys' she has encountered. She also shares the practical tools scientists, neuroscientists, therapists, and sociologists have taught her so we can all learn from their insight.

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She revealed that she struggled to open up because she'd been brought up with the 'do it yourself' and 'be independent' mindset that so many women are taught.

"Learning to be really fragile and go 'Oh, that [asking for help] is part of what being a human is,' I still think we're not brilliant at that." But while she realised she needed to ask for help, getting it right was a learning curve.

"I was then a terrible over-sharer," she said. "I'd then tell everyone, they' go 'That's not right.' So, that's what a lot of the book is, learning how to be more honestly myself."

Fans were quick to praise Miranda, with one writing, "I think it is fantastic that she is raising awareness for those of us living with chronic illnesses," while another added, "This right here is why we all adore her! Her honesty and ability to just be herself."

What Chronic Condition Does Miranda Hart Have?

Miranda Hart revealed she was diagnosed with Lyme disease this year [2024] and that she has struggled with chronic fatigue as a result. She became unwell at the age of 14, when she was unknowingly bitten by a tick carrying the disease while she lived in Virginia, USA, which is a Lyme disease hotspot. Since then, she revealed, she has never felt like she's had a normal level of energy and was bed bound for years, leading to her being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.

However, Miranda did not know that the root cause of her fatigue was Lyme disease until 2020 when tests revealed as such.