She 's a household name and has graced Australian TV screens throughout the early Seventies and Eighties , but it 's her appearance as a bubbly , upbeat housewife on the Ajax Spray ' n'Wipe advertisements that is perhaps Paula Duncan 's most famous role . However , despite the glossy , upbeat image portrayed on our screens , Duncan , now 62 , has revealed she attempted to commit suicide at age 43 , and that her teenage daughter Jessica Orcsik was the one who found her . ' I woke up and there was an ambulance and Jess was waiting for me at home , ' Duncan told Studio 10 in a sobering interview . Scroll down for video . Revelation : Actress Paula Duncan revealed her battle with depression and attempt to take her own life in an interview with Studio 10 . Harrowing : The actress ' daughter Jessica Orcsik explained her memories of finding her mother and calling an ambulance . ' I said ‘ What happened ? ’ and she said , ‘ Mum , the supermarket rang to say you ’ d collapsed in a foetal position in the park. ’ ' I had no idea when or how . I don ’ t know if I was losing brain cells or if the pain was that hard to endure I just didn ’ t even want to think or feel anymore , ' she told Studio 10 . A few days later she began taking antidepressants , and it was during this time Duncan reveals she attempted to take her own life , with daughter Jessica finding her after a suicide attempt . Distressing : Orcsik ( pictured with her mother in 2002 ) being the one to discover her was the hardest part of Duncan 's experience , the pair explained in the interview . Behind the screen : The actress , best known these days as the bubbly face of Spray ' n'Wipe , has revealed her marriage breakdowns contributed to her depression . 'My first instinct was to call 000 , roll her on her side , it was kind of crazy , ' said Orcsik . ' I think for her knowing I found her like that , is probably the hardest thing . ' Cop shop crew : Paula Duncan with former husband and co worker John Orcsik . Duncan , who suffered a marriage break down to fellow actor John Orcsik , and then subsequently a second marriage breakdown to Steve Mason , the cycle of rejection were devastating blows in her life . John Orcsik , a fellow actor from Cop Shop , was Duncan 's first love . She admits that she felt so overpowered with love for him , so much so it took precedence over the love of her baby . This left her feeling like a bad mother , and was the start of a series of triggers she says lead to 'episode depression . ' Episodic depression , according to Duncan , meant she could feel low as a result of one specific episode , despite there being a lot of happy things still happening in her life . For Duncan , these episodes included - feeling like a bad mother , suffering a marriage breakdown , her mother passing away and then her marriage to Steve Mason taking an unexpected turn for the worse . ' I was filming Strange Bedfellows and Paul Hogan and Michael Caton came up and said , `` I would n't read the Sunday paper if I were you . '' ' They said `` your husband ’ s just admitted he ’ s found his true love . '' And I could n't work anymore , I went into a very , very dark place , ' she says . Around this same period she attempted suicide , Duncan received an 'Order of Australia ' award from the Queen and was given a 'This is your Life ' tribute , a somewhat cruel irony , that she could n't fathom celebrating during such a dark time in her life . Her salvation came though by getting involved in charity work . From cop to cleaning queen : Cop Shop actress Paula Duncan is also famous for Ajax Spray ' n'Wipe ad . Raising over nine million for paralympians and the Special Olympic program ( whom she still is a patron of now ) , Duncan admits helping others has served more to her than she could ever give back to them . 'For anyone who is really down or depressed , the first thing you should do before anything else , is do something for someone else . If you do you will feel appreciated and you ’ ll find an element of self worthiness you ’ ll never have otherwise felt , ' she says . Anyone who is suffering from depression or mental health issues should contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 ( Australia ) , the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1800 273 8255 ( USA ) or the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 ( UK ) , or a local help group . Value : Duncan attributes her passion for charity work as her salvation and for finding self worth again .
Paula Duncan is an Australian actress famous for 'Ajax Spray ' n'Wipe ' ad . Comment: Duncan talks candidly about feeling rejected and attempting to take her life .