ROCK queen Ella (pic) said the Covid-19 situation which lasted for almost two years had affected her mental health, reported Kosmo!.

       The 55-year-old added that she felt insecure and nervous and lacked self-confidence every time she wanted to leave the house.

       “I faced emotional stress when the country was hit by the pandemic. This is probably due to the fact that I once went through severe anxiety.

       “At that time, I had made a name for myself as a singer but it was still difficult for me to get along with people as I was shy.

       “I did not feel confident in front of people, especially when I had a performance,” she said.

       “Only my family knows about my condition and I heeded their advice to seek help which kept my panic attacks under control up to this day.

       “However, the panic attacks came back when movement controls were imposed.

       “My hands would suddenly tremble and I would have brain fog to the point I couldn’t do anything,” added Ella, who also revealed she turned down gig offers as she felt uncomfortable and scared about leaving the house.

       “But until when do I want to be crippled by my own fears?

       “Many times I have declined invitations to perform, but now after taking a herbal supplement and other food supplements, my health is getting better,” she said.

       Meanwhile, Ella advised those who are facing the same problem to seek expert help to reduce the risk of more severe attacks that would affect their quality of life.

       “Don’t assume that you can overcome it on your own because mental health is a serious matter.

       “Don’t be ashamed or feel that we are wrong,” she said.

       > Award-winning actress Maya Karin revealed that she has several suitors, including one who is living in Australia, reported Harian Metro.

       However, she refused to reveal their identities.

       “I have several candidates and are friends with them.

       “There is one who is from Australia and regularly contacts me through the Facetime application.

       “Only the Australian man lives abroad, while the rest are Malaysians,” she said.

       Maya, who is currently busy undergoing training for the theatre production of the musical Puteri Santubong – The Warrior Princess, said that her focus is still on her career.

       “There are a lot of things I need to focus on such as rehearsals and learning my lines. So, for now, my priority is work,” she shared during an Instagram live session with several art enthusiasts.

       Maya was married to a teacher, Steven David Shorthose or his Islamic name, Muhammad Ali Abdullah in 2008. However, the marriage only lasted two years.

       ● The above article is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with this ' >'sign, it denotes a separate news item.