Kate Ritchie says daughter gives her ‘purpose’ and ‘strength’ after rehab

Kate Ritchie has opened up about motherhood following her stint in rehab for alcohol issues.

The former Home and Away star, 44, told The Sunday Telegraph her daughter Mae, eight, gives her ‘purpose’ and ‘strength’.

‘Mae gives me incredible purpose and strength and she is one of the few people who allow me to be truly me. Nothing more or less,’ she said. 

‘I am merely her mummy and she loves me for that. In fact, if I am to be really honest, as she gets older she is also teaching me I am deserving of love.’ 

The star went on to say it has been a ‘big year – a big few years.’ 

It comes after Kate recently reflected on her decision to get professional help after her shock drink driving charge in August.

In December, Daily Mail Australia broke the news Ritchie had entered an exclusive private mental health facility in Sydney to help treat her alcohol dependency.

The former Home and Away star told The Sunday Telegraph that after struggling with several personal challenges last year 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.

‘Mae gives me incredible purpose and strength and she is one of the few people who allow me to be truly me. Nothing more or less,’ Kate said 

The actress also recently said that starring in Channel Seven’s true-crime drama The Claremont Murders helped ‘reignite’ her passion for acting.

Kate appears in the two-part mini series as Carol Spiers, a real-life Western Australian woman whose daughter Sarah went missing in Claremont in 1996 and has never been found.

‘Working on this project in Perth, being on set, surrounding myself with good people has undoubtedly reignited something in me,’ she told The West Australian.

‘The opportunity to work on this and watch it all come together has reminded me of many things. Most importantly of a passion that started long ago,’ she added.

The actress recently also said starring in Channel Seven’s true-crime drama The Claremont Murders helped ‘reignite’ her passion for acting. Pictured in the series 

Kate’s new gig marks her return to acting after a decade away from the craft.

She also told the publication that she tried to remain ‘respectful’ to the real-life victims of the Claremont incident during her performance.

‘It really is a story that belongs to the families involved and the wider community of Perth. I felt the telling of this story was in good hands, and therefore I was, too,’ the mother-of-one said.

The suspenseful series provides a never-before-seen account of the incredible investigative efforts of the WA police who finally caught the killer in 2016.

Kate stars alongside a variety of veteran actors including fellow Home and Away star Ryan Johnson, 44, and Erik Thomson (Packed to the Rafters).

It comes after Kate started her new job with Nova FM’s Fitzy and Wippa. Both pictured