Annabel Croft spent 10 days in homelessness hell without a penny to her name
Annabel Croft spent 10 days living on the streets of London without a penny to her name for the BBC's Famous, Rich and Homeless docu-series. The programme followed several volunteers who traded their luxurious lifestyles to experience the extreme poverty that Shelter today estimates 345,000 people in the UK are currently enduring.
Croft, who temporarily abandoned her lavish six-bedroom home and numerous creature comforts to sleep in shop doorways for a week and a half in 2009, was joined by Hardeep Singh Kohli, Rosie Boycott, Bruce Jones and the Marquis of Blandford. Each embarked on their own journey into homelessness.
Despite knowing it would be challenging, nothing could have prepared the now 58-year-old pundit, who is currently working at Wimbledon, for the physical and emotional hardship she faced during the experiment. In a Daily Mail column published the same year as the series, Croft recalled a terrifying moment when she was nearly stabbed.
She wrote: "Slowly, I made it to the Strand in time to make the food drop from a van provided by a charity called the Simon Community. When I got there, an old battleaxe of a woman demanded, 'What are you doing here?' I said I just wanted a cup of tea but she said I was unwelcome.
"She had spotted Fiona, my camerawoman, and clearly wanted to provoke a fight. I was still trying to get some tea when two Polish guys came at me from nowhere. Fiona and I were both protected - from a distance - by a security guard, Stuart Cleverley.
"Within moments he was by my side, grabbed me by the arm and whisked me away from my argument. Only when we were 30 yards clear did he tell me that one of the men had pulled out a knife and was inches away from stabbing me in the back."
The harrowing ordeal left Croft "scared witless" and contemplating abandoning the documentary due to fears of leaving her children motherless if she were to be fatally attacked on London's streets. However, she resolved to carry on until the end, encountering individuals from all walks of life - some who selflessly offered assistance in a display of camaraderie, even while grappling with their own struggles.
Despite being thrust into extremely daunting situations, such as engaging with substance abusers and constructing a temporary home from cardboard, Croft confessed that the experience profoundly altered her view of the homeless. She said: "On so many occasions I have walked past homeless people and thought, 'Oh for goodness sake, you are so young. Get up and go and get a job.' But no one will employ a person who has no address who can't prove who they are. It's a vicious circle."
She also shared her emotional response, feeling "disturbed" by the scenes she witnessed yet also "humbled and privileged" to participate in the programme's mission to challenge perceptions about the homeless.
Following the broadcast, Croft delved deeper into the issue with her BBC Radio 5 Live show entitled James: My Alcoholic Friend, which revolved around her efforts to reconnect with one of the rough sleepers she spent time with on Famous, Rich and Homeless.
Croft is currently making an impact with her commentary at Wimbledon, where tennis greats vie for the coveted Grand Slam title. Despite never securing a major herself, Croft made quite the impression on SW19's courts, reaching the third round in 1984. She also completed her career with a singles track record of 49-68 and one WTA title to her name.
All eyes are set on WTA No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka at this year's tournament, as she gears up for a quarter-final clash against Laura Siegemund on Tuesday at Centre Court, aiming to bag her fourth Grand Slam title. Amanda Anisimova is also scheduled to face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova later in the day, with the remaining two quarter-final spots yet to be decided at the time of writing.
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