Zoe Sugg wanted to be 'strong big sister' for Joe amid 'terrible' mental health

Zoe Sugg has opened up about always wanting to be a ‘strong big sister’ for her brother Joe at a time when her mental health was ‘terrible’.

The YouTube star, who’s always been open about her struggles with her mental health, was asked in an Instagram Q&A if her parents splitting up had an impact on her mental health.

‘I was 21 when they separated so I was very able to understand and be involved which definitely affected me,’ she wrote.

‘That time of my life in general was very hard. I didn’t know what I wanted to do career wise, was in an emotionally abusive relationship & my parents divorced, so my mental health was pretty terrible in general.

‘I wanted to be a strong and held together big sister too so I tried to stay calm and collected for everybody’s sake which was tough!

‘It’s never an easy thing for anyone involved really, but time is a great healer.’

Zoe and Joe have always appeared close, with the Strictly star being supported at every turn by his older sister, most recently at his opening night at Waitress The Musical.

Meanwhile, the 29-year-old has often been open about her mental health, previously explaining that she felt ‘suffocated’ by trying to appear perfect on social media.

New Year 2019 marked a turning point for her, as she told fans: ‘I spoke a bit last year about the pressure, expectation & fear of posting that I have often experienced through my decade of sharing, but now more than ever, I second guess a lot of things I say or post.

‘I also know that SO many of you do the same thing (regardless of follower count) & you can end up feeling a little suffocated & disconnected.’

She added: ‘I took a little trip down memory lane looking back at my Instagram on my stories last night and the feedback has been INSANE! I can’t even tell you how many messages I received from you all (including fellow social influencer posters) saying you felt the same way & that you didn’t feel you could compete with the “glossiness” that a large part of Instagram has become.’

Making a pledge to her followers, the influencer continued: ‘I’m going to make a conscious effort this year, to post more without second guessing, or contemplating a perfect caption that won’t offend anyone, or appear like my life is so well put together.’

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