Simon Young: "I was given the last rites."

In his first interview since resigning from RTE in 2002, former 2FM DJ Simon Young has spoken candidly about his struggle with depression, how his attitude towards mental health has changed and how he was unable to gain access to former colleague and friend Gerry Ryan's funeral service.

A household name throughout the '90s, Young pulls no punches when speaking to Hot Press' Jackie Hayden, recalling his darkest days with unflinching honesty.

"While I was in hospital my weight ballooned up to 28 stone… so at one point they had to operate on me to drain the fluid," he says. "There were several times when it looked like it was all over for me. I had some kind of seizure too, and it was so severe that it took four female nurses and three male nurses to hold me down. The priest was called three times and I was actually given the last rites during one of his visits."

Discussing the passing of his former colleague and friend Gerry Ryan, Simon is adamant that he never witnessed any drug use from the late broadcaster, before detailing his own experience of Ryan's funeral.

“I turned up at the St. John the Baptist church in Clontarf for the funeral. I then walked up to the gate, but unfortunately my name was not on the guest-list. It seemed odd not being allowed into a church… so I just sat on the steps outside and listened to the service coming through on the loudspeakers. I thought Morah’s words were very inspirational.”

To read the rest of this remarkable interview in which Young frankly discusses the impact that mental health problems have had on his life and the measures with which he believes victims need to combat their issues, pick up the latest edition of Hot Press (Adele cover) on shelves now.