Antiques Road Trip star opens up on daughter's heartbreaking health battle and family 'struggle'
Antiques Road Trip star Philip Serrell has opened up about his daughter's heartbreaking battle with anorexia. The BBC expert has been open and honest in the past about Clementine's health struggles, despite finding it hard to understand at first.
Now that she's in recovery, Clementine wants to raise awareness and support others who are facing the same challenges she's experienced.
Phillip shared his own struggles to comprehend what she was going through. He said: 'A s a dad, it's been very difficult, I've found it very hard to understand.
"I've spent 62 years enjoying eating and it's very hard not to say 'Just eat, it's easy'."
He also reflected on the progress his daughter made, admitting she's 'come through this on her own'.
But Phillip candidly admitted his family are not out of the woods yet, and there are still tough situations to navigate. He added: 'Christmas a very difficult time of year because people suffering with anorexia get booze and food shoved at them - and that's very hard to deal with."
Phillip's daughter first stepped into the public spotlight with her journey back in 2020 when she took to social media to post a comparison image of herself. In one of the pictures, she was at the height of the devastating illness, and in the second recent snap, she looked happier and healthier and working towards healing, as reports Devon Live.
Brave Clementine aimed to empower others with her words, and said: "Never think you can't escape." She then went on to detail her battles with anorexia and bulimia, explaining she thinks the catalyst was the end of a significant relationship. She believes the internal turmoil led to feeling disassociated from her life.
She disclosed that in 2011, she made herself vomit 'about eight times' on New Year's Eve, waking up on New Year's Day "full of shame and utter self loathing".
The next year, she started suffering from anorexia.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
She went on: "That was the worst year, and Christmas, ever. It was just pure hell, with no escape. I was TOTALLY consumed by the eating disorder, addicted to it, addicted to counting calories and 'burning off' what I could. I weighed EVERYTHING. I counted the calories in EVERYTHING. I hated what I'd become but I was petrified of giving up that addiction."
She said her journey to recovery has felt painfully slow at times as she added: "After a long, and at times sooooo painfully slow, recovery I'm here, where I am now... I will always talk about eating disorders, and I'll always be honest. I don't post things like this for any praise or anything like that but to show others that you can get your life back."
She said she is now committed to raising awareness about eating disorders.
She went on: "I will always talk about eating disorders, and I'll always be honest. I don't post things like this for any praise or anything like that but to show others that you can get your life back. And also because I genuinely believe EDs are still very misunderstood and that kills me a bit.
'This is a hard time to go through, especially if you have an eating disorder but know that there can be life on the other side. And know that you really are strong enough to get there."
Antiques Road Trip is available to watch on BBC iPlayer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
39 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BBC director-general Tim Davie is on 'last strike' after series of scandals - but corporation wants to save him
BBC director-general Tim Davie is on his 'last strike' after a series of scandals has plunged the BBC into chaos but the Corporation is determined to save him, sources have claimed. The Corporation is facing serious questions after it came under attack on three fronts this week. And while there is widespread feeling Davie is one scandal away from losing his high-profile role, a former executive told The Sunday Times that the BBC has deployed 'Operation Save Tim'. On Monday, the BBC was forced to admit that its documentary about children in Gaza had breached editorial guidelines by failing to disclose that the narrator was the son of a senior Hamas official. Hours later, a damning probe into Gregg Wallace 's behaviour on MasterChef was published, with 45 out of 83 complaints, including one count of 'unwanted physical contact', upheld. The report also upheld two out of 10 complaints - relating to swearing and racist language - made into other individuals, who were not identified. That was until the BBC was thrown into another crisis when Wallace's co-host John Torode publicly declared that he was the individual who had used racist language. Torode, 59, was sacked on Tuesday in a move he claims the BBC had not made him aware of. He said he was 'seeing and reading' he had been dropped from the show and had 'no recollection' of making a racist comment. In the following days, it was reported that he had used the N-word at a filming wrap part in 2019 while singing along to Gold Digger by Kanye West. But the investigation is understood to have upheld a separate complaint made the year prior when he used the same racist word on the MasterChef set. A BBC News report claims the racial slur was directed towards a MasterChef staff member. The Gaza documentary and MasterChef scandals add to a tumultuous period for the BBC, who also came under fire for their handling of the live streaming of Bob Vylan's Glastonbury set last month. The band sparked a backlash after leading chants of 'death, death to the IDF [Israel Defence Forces] during a live broadcast on the BBC. The BBC also said it will no longer broadcast live performances deemed 'high risk' – as Bob Vylan had been assessed – and its director of music, Lorna Clarke, also reportedly stepped back from her day-to-day duties. The corporation issued an apology after the Bob Vylan set at Glastonbury, saying: 'We deeply regret that such offensive and deplorable behaviour appeared on the BBC and want to apologise to our viewers and listeners and in particular the Jewish community. 'We are also unequivocal that there can be no place for antisemitism at, or on, the BBC. After Glastonbury, which Davie attended, culture secretary Lisa Nandy told parliament there was a 'problem of leadership' at the BBC. But BBC chair Samir Shah has doubled down on his support for the director-general, insisting Davie 'has shown strength, confidence and decisive leadership in a very challenging environment'. Another insider claimed his position with some board members was 'more precarious than people realise' after the Glastonbury scandal, but this was disputed by a source close to the board who insisted they were backing him. While the scandals alone would not be enough to see Davie sacked, the revolving door of scandals has raised huge questions about the management of the BBC. It also comes at a time when Davie's salary jumped £20,000 to £547,000, while Deborah Turness, the BBC News chief executive, saw hers rise £17,000 to £431,000. Since Davie became director-general in September 2020, the BBC has shelled out almost £10million addressing scandals. Almost half of that - £4.5million - comes from the fallout from the Martin Bashir 1995 Panorama interview with Princess Diana. Although the original controversy came before Davie took on his role, the sum includes £539,000 of legal fees in fighting journalist Andy Webb's internal emails about the scandal. Another £3.3million was spent on an external investigation into its handling of complaints about Radio 1 presenter Tim Westwood. Allegations against Westwood were first made public in 2022 when several women accused him of sexual misconduct. He has strongly denied all allegations. A review, which was carried out by barrister Gemma White KC and included contributions from more than 120 people, found people were 'concerned that they would not be believed or might be blamed' for his alleged behaviour because he was so 'popular'. The BBC also faced a £1.3million bill from the Huw Edwards scandal, although the report's findings have never been published. The review into the Gaza documentary, carried out by the director of editorial complaints Peter Johnston, cost £98,500. The Sunday Times reports that there is widespread feeling at the BBC and the wider media that Davie cannot afford another crisis, but his allies remain supportive and warn 'nobody should underestimate his strong survival instincts'.
Daily Record
2 hours ago
- Daily Record
‘I'm not a fan of hero movies, but the world needs to listen to Superman 2025'
In a world where governments are turning a blind eye to Israel's genocide in Gaza, Superman's anti-war message is revolutionary. James Gunn's new Superman movie starring David Corenswet has been making headlines this week for its 'punk' and anti-war message. Released in UK cinemas on July 11, the film has taken the world by storm, already reaching nearly £300 million in the worldwide box office. And while avid superhero fans were a guaranteed audience for the new film, which has gained an impressive 83 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, there's a reason the movie is attracting a wider audience. As someone who doesn't generally care for superhero movies, I was gobsmacked by James Gunn's in-your-face anti-war message, which drew chilling parallels with the current state of global politics. Especially in the context of Israel's ongoing genocide in Gaza, in which over 60,000 people have been murdered, Superman 2025 offers a message most of us learn as toddlers: 'Killing people is bad'. The movie sees Man of Steel Clark Kent come under fire from government officials and the public after he stops fictional country (and US ally) Boravia from invading their neighbouring state Jarhanpur. Following the hero's halting of the invasion, US tech billionaire Lex Luther orchestrates a smear campaign against Superman, branding him an alien that interfered with foreign affairs without permission. In the end, we discover Luther had orchestrated the conflict between the two fictional nations in order to get rid of Superman and make colossal profits from providing arms to the dictatorship of Boravia, led by a tyrant who orders the death of every Jarhanpurian. Sound familiar? Of course, good triumphs over evil and the nation of Jarhapur is freed from its invaders, with the help of Superman's hero pals including journalist girlfriend Lois Lane and Hawk Girl, who gives the dictator of Boravia his comeuppence. While the film is of course fictional (there's a man with laser-vision flying around in a cape, after all), many online have been quick to note the film's parallels to current affairs. Although Israel is not mentioned once in the film, many are deeming the film as 'anti-Israel' and 'pro-Palestine' on social media, given the similarities between Israel's war crimes in Palestine and the villainous state of Boravia. And it's not hard to imagine the real-life leader who may have inspired the old-man dictator of Boravia either. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. To me, it's no coincidence this extremely anti-war film has come out now, as Gazan men, women and children are killed every day from orchestrated starvation, or shot dead at 'aid distribution' centres. But whether you believe there was real-life inspiration for the film or not, it can't be doubted the world needs to acknowledge and cling on to Superman's message. Although many governments continue to ignore Israel's war crimes, Superman acts as a beacon of hope the world will eventually come to its senses.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Again and again, we are shocked by the treatment of learning-disabled people. Yet we never learn from the past
BBC Radio 4 has just aired a short series about the writer Virginia Woolf, to celebrate the centenary of her novel Mrs Dalloway. According to the publicity blurb, the aim of Three Transformations of Virginia Woolf was to explore what she 'has to say to us today', and how she 'captured and critiqued a modern world that was transforming around her, treated mental health as a human experience rather than a medical condition, and challenged gender norms'. Because the three episodes immediately followed the Today programme, I distractedly caught two minutes of the first, before flinching, and turning it off. The reason? Only a few days before, I had read a diary entry Woolf wrote in 1915, presented alongside the acknowledgment that she was 'suffering deep trauma at the time', but still so shocking that it made me catch my breath. It was a recollection of encountering a group of learning-disabled people, who were probably residents of a famous institution called Normansfield hospital. 'We met and had to pass a long line of imbeciles,' Woolf wrote. 'The first was a very tall man, just queer enough to look at twice, but no more; the second shuffled, and looked aside; and then one realised that everyone in that long line was a miserable ineffective shuffling idiotic creature … It was perfectly horrible. They should certainly be killed.' That passage arrives a third of the way through a brilliant new book titled Beautiful Lives, straplined How We Got Learning Disabilities So Wrong. Written by the playwright and drama director Stephen Unwin, its story goes from the Greeks and Romans to the 21st century. Much of it is a history of the misunderstanding, hatred and appalling mistreatment experienced by endless millions of people. But partly because Unwin has a learning-disabled son – 28-year-old Joey, who he says has 'challenged everything I was brought up to believe in and turned it on its head' – it is also a very topical demand for all of us 'to celebrate the fact that such people exist and have so much to offer'. A sign of the ignorance Unwin spends some of the book railing against is the fact that this superbly original work, published in early June, has not been reviewed in a single mainstream publication. In the context of the attitudes he writes about, that is probably not much of a surprise – but there again, the book is so timely that its passing-over still feels shocking. After all, it follows the same unquestionable logic as all those high-profile discussions and debates about institutional racism and empire, and demands a very similar process of reckoning. On this subject, there is a mountain of questions to ask. Some are about language that still endures: 'imbeciles', 'morons', 'cretins', 'idiots'. How many of us know about the first official Asylum for Idiots – later the Royal Earlswood Institution for Mental Defectives – founded in Surrey in 1847, and infamous for what Unwin describes as 'widespread cruelty … and soaring mortality rates'? However much young people study history, do their syllabuses ever cover the Mental Deficiency Act of 1913, which formalised the idea that people categorised as 'idiots' and 'imbeciles' (and all disabled children and young people) should be institutionalised, let alone the fact that it granted local councils powers to remove such people from their families by force? Why is the US's record on institutional cruelty and cod-psychology even worse than the UK's? There is another part of the same story, centred on a slew of 20th-century politicians and cultural figures who believed that learning-disabled people – and disabled people in general – were not just pitiful and wretched, but a threat to humanity's future, an idea expressed in the absurd non-science of eugenics. They included that towering brute Winston Churchill, DH Lawrence (who had visions of herding disabled people into 'a lethal chamber as big as the Crystal Palace'), and lots of people thought of as progressives: Bertrand Russell, HG Wells, George Bernard Shaw, John Maynard Keynes, the one-time Labour party chair Harold Laski, and the trailblazing intellectuals Sidney and Beatrice Webb. Their credo of pure and strong genes may have been discredited by the defeat of the Nazis, but we should not kid ourselves that everyday manifestations of loathing and condescension that underlay those ideas do not linger on. Ours is the age of such scandals as the one that erupted in 2011 at Winterbourne View, the 'assessment and treatment unit' in Gloucestershire, where people with learning disabilities were left out in freezing weather, had mouthwash poured into their eyes and were given cold showers as a punishment. The year 2013 saw the death in an NHS unit of Connor Sparrowhawk, the autistic and learning-disabled young man whose life was dramatised by Unwin in a profoundly political play titled Laughing Boy, based on a brilliantly powerful book written by Sparrowhawk's mother, Sara Ryan. As well as its principal character's life and death, it highlighted the fact that the health trust that ran the unit in question was eventually found to have not properly investigated the 'unexpected' deaths of more than 1,000 people with learning disabilities or mental-health issues. Right now, about 2,000 learning-disabled and autistic people are locked away in completely inappropriate and often inhumane facilities, usually under the terms of mental health legislation. Only 5% of learning-disabled people are reckoned to have a job. Six out of 10 currently die before the age of 65, compared with one out of 10 for people from the general population. But this is also a time of growing learning-disabled self-advocacy, which will hopefully begin to make change unavoidable. One small example: at this year's Glastonbury, I chaired a discussion about the cuts to disability benefits threatened by the political heirs of Laski and the Webbs. The speakers onstage included Ady Roy, a learning-disabled activist who is involved in My Life My Choice, a brilliant organisation that aims at a world 'where people with a learning disability are treated without prejudice and are able to have choice and control over their own lives'. He was inspirational, but it would be good to arrive at a point where what he did was completely unremarkable. It may sound a little melodramatic, but it is also true: such people, and allies like Unwin, are at the cutting-edge of human liberation. Far too many others may not have the same grim ideas as Woolf, Lawrence, Keynes and all the rest, but their unawareness and neglect sit somewhere on the same awful continuum. That only highlights an obvious political fact that all of us ought to appreciate as a matter of instinct: that the present and future will only be different if we finally understand the past. John Harris is a Guardian columnist
