Todd Muller: One step away from being Prime Minister - then it all fell apart

Todd Muller was elected leader of the National Party in May 2020, a tantalising final step towards achieving a boyhood dream of one day being Prime Minister. Within five days, he was experiencing waves of anxiety he'd never felt before - panic attacks so severe he could barely get through speeches, the words on the page constantly moving and disappearing.After 53 days, he stepped down as leader. He spent the next three years trying to rebuild. He got reelected. He climbed back to the front bench. But he couldn't sustain it. In 2023, Todd made the hardest decision of his life and walked away from Parliament entirely.Based in Tauranga, he's now rebuilding around family, fitness, and community. His willingness to be vulnerable has opened conversations with hundreds of men who've said the same words back to him. "I've had a bit of that too."We'd love to hear from you. Send us a text or a voicemail by clicking here. If you need support, here are helpful links, phone numbers and resources: https://ember.org.nz/resources/in-a-crisis/