Miranda Hart reveals ‘dark periods’ of her life in unexpected social media post

‘There’s always hope, I suppose,’ the comedian said

Miranda Hart has opened up about the “darkness” she has faced over the past decade of her life.

The British comedian and actor, 51, is best known for her self-titled three-season BBC sitcom Miranda, which ran from 2009 to 2015.

Hart led the semi-autobiographical series as Miranda, the owner of a joke shop and boutique where she worked alongside her chaotic best friend Stevie (Sarah Hadland).

In a video shared to Instagram promoting her forthcoming book, Hart revealed I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You will detail the “treasures” that have helped her recover from the most “testing” period of her life.

“I’m sharing the treasures that I learned in darkness,” she said. “The things that helped me to live and feel like I am free and joyful and peaceful and physically recovered in a way that I never thought possible.”

She continued: “There’s always hope, I suppose. Whatever you might be going through at the time. None of us go through life without some testing or trials do we?”

The Emma actor added she had been through a “very unexpected decade” that included both “surprising and incredible joys” as well as “equally surprising challenges”.

“I’m here. I’m intact. I got through it,” she said.

Hart has done minimal work in recent years and has previously divulged that she suffers from anxiety.

“Life during times of acute anxiety has been like wading through treacle and on bad days getting to the end of the street to post a letter was hard, such was the extreme level of fear in my body,” she wrote in her last book Miranda’s Daily Dose Of Such Fun.

Miranda Hart and Patricia Hodge in ‘Miranda’ (BBC)

Back in 2018, the comedian said: “"There’s a lot of talk about comedians being depressed and I think, in many cases, it’s absolutely true.

“I definitely have that side to my personality – naturally my glass is half-empty, so I make a conscious effort to keep the positive attitude going.”

Hart has also previously expressed her shock at still being trolled online despite having stepped away from the public eye.

Last year, she wrote on X/Twitter: “I naively thought Twitter ‘abuse’ might’ve eased. It doesn’t bother me that someone says I deserve cancer coz I’m unfunny or look pregnant with weight gain.”

“It’s the shock of how we treat each other,” Hart added. “We all deserve & desire dignity so why do we forget to give that to fellow humans?”