Kate Ritchie has broken her silence after images emerged of the media star acting erratically while picking up her daughter last week. The Nova 96.9 radio host, 46, appeared dishevelled on Wednesday after she was spotted visiting a bottle shop and breaking down in tears at a park. In a statement shared to Instagram on Monday, Ritchie said she has been struggling with mental health issues and will be taking a break from her radio show.

'I struggle with mental health issues at times, which are deeply personal. This has proven to be a bigger challenge than I imagined,' she began. 'So I have decided to take a break from the show and the team who I love to focus on my health. I want to thank all of those who are helping me through this very difficult time. I love you. Thank you Nova for being there when I need you.'. Ritchie, who hasn't been photographed her since November last year, went on to address the shock images taken last week.

Kate Ritchie has broken her silence after images emerged of the media star acting erratically while picking up her daughter last week. 'This is also a problem many others are struggling with. They know what it’s like. The images of me taken last week show that I wasn’t okay on that day,' she continued. Ritchie went on to thank her friends and fans for their support over the past week. 'Thank you to my wonderful family, all the Nova Listeners, and many others who are sending their love and support. I appreciate it more than you can imagine,' she wrote.

The radio star has been shuttered away in her ritzy Randwick home in Sydney's eastern suburbs as she contended with the fallout from the alarming incident and ensuing episode where she was seeing crying in a public park. Ritchie's agent Mark Morrissey and fellow manager Erin Keneally were seen arriving at the former Home and Away star's home mid-afternoon on Friday before leaving separately about an hour later.

Images taken on Wednesday showed Ritchie driving a red Hyundai i30 to a BWS bottle shop near her home shortly after 3pm before picking up her daughter from school and heading to a nearby park. The video obtained by Daily Mail Australia then shows the former actress crying while on the phone, wiping tears from her eyes and burying her head in her hands. A witness, who saw Ritchie get out of the car at the park, said the star 'looked really distressed'.

In a statement shared to Instagram on Monday, Ritchie said she has been struggling with mental health issues and will be taking a break from her radio show. 'She walked around a bit in the park while talking and then suddenly she sat down and started rocking her whole body back and forth and crying,' they said. 'It was really confronting – she looked so upset. When she turned around her eyes were all red and puffy and she looked absolutely devastated.'.

Ritchie's daughter stayed in the car as she sat in the park, leaving the vehicle idle but the engine running. The actress, who is set to front in the ABC's upcoming parenting special The Role of a Lifetime, was then seen struggling to get up from the grass. 'After the call ended, she tried to stand up but lost her balance and sort of fell over again,' the bystander added. 'When she finally managed to get to her feet, she started making another phone call... she looked much happier during that call.'.

Handing her daughter her phone through the rear passenger window, Ritchie then walked around to the back of the vehicle – holding an arm out on the car as she got into the driver's seat and drove home. Ritchie has been candid about her struggles in the past after she checked into private Sydney rehab centre to get help for 'alcohol dependency' back in 2022. At the time, she had stepped down from her role on Nova's drive show, Kate, Tim and Joel, after being charged with drink-driving just weeks earlier.

Ritchie returned a reading of 0.06 – just over the legal limit – when she was stopped by police for a random breath test in her station wagon at Pagewood at 2.45pm on August 22. She was fined $600, suspended from driving for three months, and apologised on Instagram. In December 2022, she said in a statement that the year had been challenging and stressful which led to an 'unhealthy reliance on alcohol'.

'Recently I undertook a random breath test,' she wrote. 'Although it was low level, the test came back positive. 'I made a poor decision and there is no doubt I understand the seriousness of my actions. I am truly sorry.'. In March 2023, the star told The Sunday Telegraph that after struggling with several personal challenges she decided it was time to seek help. 'It was a long time coming. I sought professional help, the help that I needed. Sometimes enough is enough,' she said.