Martine McCutcheon and Ruth Langsford have both opened up about battling illness while juggling their busy careers.
The Loose Women panelists were discussing how they overcame their fears about choosing their own mental health and physical wellbeing instead of working themselves ragged.
Martine, 40, who has been candid in the past about her battle with ME, also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, said that it was only being diagnosed with the disorder that slowed her down.
"I got to a stage where I was a complete workoholic, I didn't want to sit still even when work was finished.
Trying to avoid dealing with the memories of her abusive father she said: "I would go to some 'do or charity event because then I didn't have to stop still and sit there and let the pain or the upset just overcome me.
"I lived in a fantasy world, of course when you do that it catches up on you and around the time of My Fair Lady, publicly everything was perfect but inside I was dying. It was horrible.
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"I got really ill, but I kept pushing. The ME stopped me. I got viruses and infections and it just kept going and going, in the end nothing else would have stopped me," she explained.
Martine has learned to manage her disorder but it took her time to adjust, she added: "It was horrible stopping. I wouldn't want to do it all over again. I've learned from it, but even now [I think] 'Should I be here?'. But I have that voice that tells me 'Yes you should you have earned your stripes'."
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Ruth, 56, also shared her own experience of having to take time off from work when she was diagnosed with severe glandular fever.
"I had ME, but not in the same way as you, mine was glandular fever. I was off work for a long time. But what I learned from it, and it took me a very long time, I was very protective of my time away from work.
"Before I was a people-pleaser, working the weekend and staying late. Then I realised no one will thank you for that when you fall apart. It's made that to me, say 'work is work and I love it' but it's a job and I know how to protect my health."
* Loose Women is on weekdays, ITV at 12.30pm