For years, Angel Waruinge, better known as Miss Morgan, the strict but secretly warm deputy principal of Tahidi High, was the face of discipline on Kenyan TV. Off-screen, though, the woman behind the beloved character was waging a war of her own.
In a candid and emotional revelation, Angel has peeled back the curtain on her private struggles with alcoholism, depression, and moments so dark she considered ending her life.
The trouble started quietly. After Tahidi High wrapped and the COVID-19 pandemic froze the entertainment world in 2020, the steady rhythm of her acting career came to a halt. Fame didn’t pay the bills, and the public still expected “Miss Morgan” to live like a star. The pressure built, but Angel didn’t yet have the words for what she was going through.
“I didn’t even know it was depression,” she admits. “I just knew I felt empty.”
Alcohol became her coping mechanism, a “friend” she could rely on when the loneliness and self-doubt felt too heavy. At first it was just a drink to take the edge off. But soon it became the edge itself.
“When I was drunk, I would think about ending my life,” she revealed. “I felt like there was no point.” Those thoughts, she says, came in waves especially when the gap between the confident Miss Morgan on TV and the struggling Angel in real life felt impossibly wide.
Fame had blurred her identity. “Miss Morgan” was sharp, respected, and admired. Angel was unsure, exhausted, and drowning under expectations. “I’m not Miss Morgan… I am Angel Waruinge. Those are two very different people,” she says. Living in the shadow of her own character chipped away at her self-worth.
Eventually, things reached a breaking point. Finances were tight, her health was suffering, and her self-esteem was in tatters. That’s when Angel made a life-changing phone call to her mother. Admitting she needed help was the first step toward healing.
Therapy, a strong support system, and a deliberate change of environment began to pull her out of the spiral. She dropped 36 kilos not just in weight, but in emotional baggage.
Today, Angel isn’t just surviving; she’s thriving. She’s turned her experiences into fuel for advocacy, speaking openly about mental health and addiction. She’s even launched her own YouTube channel to share real, unfiltered conversations that remind people they’re not alone.
She laughs now at how life has shifted, but she doesn’t sugarcoat it. “Recovery is work,” she says. “It’s not magic. You have to fight for yourself.”
Angel Waruinge’s story is more than a confession it’s a reminder that behind every public persona is a human being fighting battles we may never see. And for anyone stuck in that dark place, her journey says one thing loud and clear: it’s possible to come back.
