Jamie-Lee O’Donnell has revealed that an intense period of therapy ultimately led her to cut contact with her entire family before making a dramatic fresh start in Spain.
The 39-year-old Derry Girls star opened up about the decision during an appearance on the Dish from Waitrose podcast with Nick Grimshaw and Angela Hartnett, describing therapy as difficult but necessary.
After completing that period of treatment, O’Donnell sold her home and relocated to Barcelona despite having no job or personal connections waiting for her there. She said the leap has ultimately worked out far better than she could have known at the time.
O’Donnell had previously discussed spending years working through issues from her childhood, but the new interview marked a rare public acknowledgment that the process also changed her relationship with her family.
Therapy Led Her to Go ‘No Contact’ With Her Entire Family
O’Donnell said she entered therapy after reaching a point where she realized there were parts of her life she could no longer ignore. “I was wrapping up therapy back home. I finally did some therapy, which I know is a pretty big deal for an Irish woman, but it was great,” she said.
O’Donnell described the process as “pretty intense and really tough” before joking about reaching the end of it. “Cured, guys. All the healing’s done,” she said. When the conversation turned to her family, however, she spoke plainly about one consequence of that work.
“Well, that’s part of the therapy. I had to go no contact with my entire family,” O’Donnell said in remarks also reported by EVOKE. She did not identify individual relatives or explain the circumstances behind the estrangement. “But, it’s just one of those things, you know,” she continued. “And the more I’ve sort of talked about it and been honest about it, I’m seeing it’s, unfortunately, not the most unusual thing for adults.”
She Sold Her House and Moved to Barcelona
Once therapy was drawing to a close, O’Donnell decided she wanted a larger change. “So, I just sold my house and just went, ‘Ermm, Barcelona,’” she said. “I know, it’s mental.” The actress described herself as “hyper independent” and said she tends to research major decisions before committing to them.
“There’s a lot of good and bad with that,” she said. “You sort of learn by mistakes and as you keep going and stuff, I’ve had plenty. But this time, thankfully, it’s worked out really well.” O’Donnell previously discussed the move in a December 2025 interview with Hot Press, explaining that she relocated to Barcelona in February 2025 without a job or another person drawing her there.
“The big move away was a big thing I did for myself,” she said. “I didn’t have a job out here, there was nobody else out here.” She sold her house, researched the move and decided to see what would happen. “It was about taking a chance, and starting a new chapter of my life,” she said.
O’Donnell Had Spent Years ‘Trying to Unpack’ Her Childhood
“I was doing therapy for a while back home, trying to unpack a lot of stuff from my childhood,” she told Hot Press. “It was sort of running after me for a while.” She said she spent several years trying to understand and come to terms with those experiences before deciding that she was ready to look forward.
O’Donnell also discussed a tendency within Irish and particularly Northern Irish culture to respond to difficult experiences by simply getting on with life. She said that mindset had once worked for her, but eventually became counterproductive.
“Things just weren’t clicking,” she said. “I was really struggling mentally, and I had to take a bit of a pause to figure it out.” “I’m not saying it’s all done,” she told Hot Press. “There’s no end to the ‘healing’. It’s a journey. You grow and expand and evolve.”
Barcelona Has Become Her Base While Her Career Keeps Bringing Her Back
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She told EVOKE earlier this year that she still regularly sees Saoirse-Monica Jackson, who played Erin Quinn opposite her Michelle Mallon. “Obviously, I still see Saoirse all the time,” O’Donnell said. “She’s one of my best friends.”
She has also continued expanding her work beyond Derry Girls. Recent credits include the BBC and RTÉ adaptation of Leonard and Hungry Paul, while upcoming projects include Skintown and Rebel Wilson’s Girl Group. O’Donnell is also set to lead Hopley Hall, a new six-part BBC comedy created by Daniel Peak.
The series follows the staff and volunteers attempting to keep a slightly shabby Grade I-listed historic house in the Northern Irish countryside operating. “Delighted to be at the forefront of Daniel Peak’s new BBC comedy series and looking forward to bringing this fun and exciting project to life,” O’Donnell said when the project was announced. “I’ll see you soon at Hopley Hall.”