Melissa, 31, is married to cruise director Robert Brendan, so it’s no surprise he spends lots of time away from his family.

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The pair share three-year-old River together, meaning the actress is forced to solo parent him regularly.

Taking to Instagram yesterday, she opened up about her upset after waving goodbye to her partner for three months.

Melissa posted a selfie with her other half, writing in her caption, “Solo parent mode re-activated.

“We said yet another emotional goodbye to Robert this morning for the next 3 months as he heads down to Antarctica and South America. River hanging in there well. Me, not so much.

“In flood the feelings of uncertainty in my ability to solo parent, the panic about how I’m going to do 100% of the things 100% of the the time, and the anxiety about what will happen if I burn out.

“Probably not aided by the fact that I’m still suffering with whatever nasty bug I picked up in mid December. It’s been rough and I’m feeling far from my best.

“This 5 week break has been lovely and we’ve managed to do lots of things that we can cherish and remember in these times when we’re apart, but it doesn’t make it any easier. Counting down the days until he’s home again in April.”

Melissa played Lucy Beale on the BBC soap during the character’s rebellious teenage years, making on-screen dad Ian Beale’s life hell by drinking, smoking, becoming pregnant and even going missing.

But she was left in 2010 amid rumours bosses weren’t impressed with her off-screen behaviour and attitude outside work after she was spotted in a London nightclub while underage.

These days, Melissa is focused on being a body-positive parenting influencer.

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