Sports Reporter Esther Sedlaczek: “I thought I was going to die”

No time? blue News summarizes for you

• Esther Sedlaczek suffered a severe panic attack accompanied by a fear of death after the birth of her first child. Today, she attributes the breakdown to postpartum depression.
• At the time, the TV host put a lot of pressure on herself to perfectly balance her career and family life. Despite her success, she was often dissatisfied with herself and lost her joy in her work.
• After the incident, she began therapy and found balance through exercise and yoga. She learned to take her own needs more seriously and to take better care of herself.

Summary created with

TV reporter Esther Sedlaczek has been one of ARD’s most recognizable faces for years. This year, the 40-year-old is once again in front of the camera covering the World Cup. What wasn’t known until now: A few years ago, the presenter suffered a physical breakdown as a result of postpartum depression. It was a warning sign from her body that led her to rethink her priorities.

As Esther Sedlaczek reported in an interview with *Der Spiegel* (paywall article), the incident occurred six years ago. After hosting a show for Sky, she drove home and went to bed.

That night, she suddenly woke up and complained of shortness of breath and numbness. “I thought I was about to collapse and die,” the sports presenter recalls in the magazine interview. She then ran barefoot into the garden—even though it was raining. Eventually, the reporter was taken to the emergency room by ambulance.

"Washing machines talk about football"

How blue Sport presenter Maceri puts away insulting macho slogans

According to the *Spiegel* report, the panic attack continued to haunt Sedlaczek for a long time. For weeks, she feared the symptoms might return. Today, the ARD host is convinced that postpartum depression was behind her breakdown. Sedlaczek’s first daughter was about a year old at the time.

Postpartum depression can occur up to a year after giving birth. According to “Deutsche Depressionshilfe,” about 10 to 15 percent of mothers are affected by pre- or postpartum depression. Triggers can include hormonal changes, traumatic births, stress, or pre-existing mental health conditions.

Sedlaczek Found No Joy in Her Job Due to the Pressure to Perform

Looking back on that time, the ARD reporter explains: “I wanted to do everything perfectly on every level.” Both at work and in her everyday family life. But at some point, her body finally reached its limit.

Her great ambition also put enormous pressure on herself. Despite her professional success, she was never satisfied with her performance and was constantly looking for mistakes, as she reports: “I walked away from almost every broadcast feeling: This isn’t good enough,” she says. “I put a huge amount of pressure on myself and didn’t enjoy my job.”

“I had too many self-doubts”

Why Alain Sutter Never Became a World-Class Soccer Player

Her breakdown ultimately led her to rethink things. According to her own account, Sedlaczek began therapy and now relies on exercise and yoga to create balance in her daily life.

Above all, however, she says she had to learn to take her own needs more seriously. “I had to learn that it’s okay to just do something for myself once in a while,” the ARD reporter explains.

Today, Sedlaczek is the mother of three children. Her daughter was born in 2019, and her two sons in 2021 and 2025. She’ll be reporting for ARD alongside expert Bastian Schweinsteiger during the World Cup in Mexico, Canada, and the U.S.