Latest news with #MelanieCeysson
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Heston Blumenthal reveals he 'thought about different ways of ending his life'
Heston Blumenthal has revealed he 'had thought about different ways of ending [his life]' before eventually receiving treatment for bipolar disorder. The London-born celebrity chef, 59, who holds a total of seven Michelin stars across his restaurants, was diagnosed with type 1 bipolar after being sectioned - on the insistence of his wife, French entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson - in November 2023. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder which causes unusual and often sudden changes in mood and energy levels. He spent two weeks heavily medicated in a psychiatric hospital and a further six weeks in a clinic, where he continued with intensive treatment and practised walking meditation. Yet, four years previously, he had already hit rock bottom and was contemplating the method he would use to take his own life. Looking back to filming the cookery show Crazy Delicious in 2019, Heston told The Times: 'I remember lying on the sofa the night before I was due to go to do the show - I didn't want to do it, because of the condition I was in - and I had thought about different ways of finishing [my life]. 'I went through a list: knife? No, can't do that. Gun? Don't have one. Rope? I don't think I could do that; wouldn't know how. It would probably slip off or whatever. 'And there was no train station anywhere near to jump in front of a train.' The father-of-three, whose first eatery, The Fat Duck, was named the best restaurant in the world in 2005, added that he didn't perceive that he was in a depressive state - even when he 'was talking about suicide or death'. He told the publication: 'I must have been in a mixed state [a period of rapid highs and lows], because I was excited about planning my funeral, planning my wake. What music I wanted, who I wanted there - I got quite excited about that.' The chef spoke to The Times ahead of the release of a new BBC documentary titled Heston: My Life with Bipolar, which will air on June 19. In the interview, Heston, who lives in Provence in southeastern France with his second wife Melanie, addressed his past, present and future. Reflecting on the diagnosis he received in November 2023 after being sectioned by police officers and a doctor who turned up at his home, he said: 'I don't have bipolar; I am bipolar. 'It was always there, and for whatever reason - possibly Covid isolation; I was on my own a lot - it escalated.' Had he not been sectioned at the insistence of Melanie, 38, at this time, the chef would have lived for only a few more days. In the years prior to his hospitalisation, Heston, who was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, experienced depressive states and hypomania, a less serious version of mania which can nevertheless drive risk-taking and impulsivity. During this time, he was sleeping as little as 20 hours a week - and was using cocaine, unusually, to help him get to sleep. By contrast, he would work a 120-hour week, fuelled by flashes of creativity brought on by the hypomania. Today, Heston remains on medication and told how his depression is still a problem for him, though he blames external factors such as a family court case and the financial losses that his restaurants have been subject to. Next week's documentary will look into the state of healthcare for those with bipolar in the UK, with Heston talking to others who also have the condition about their experiences. In May, when the project was announced, he said: 'I was living with undiagnosed bipolar for many years, so it's been an extraordinary journey to get where I am today. 'There is still a big stigma around bipolar, but it is vital to be able to talk openly about the condition. 'I know this isn't always easy, but I hope by sharing my experience in this documentary people will gain a greater understanding of bipolar and an insight into my life now.' Heston, who has an impressive seven Michelin stars, became an ambassador for Bipolar UK in February. The charity describes the mental health condition as an episodic disorder characterised by potentially extreme changes in energy and mood. It carries the highest suicide risk of any mental health condition. Bipolar UK estimates more than one million adults in Britain have the disorder - which is 30 per cent more than the number of people with dementia. But it is thought some 56 per cent of those living with bipolar in the UK do not have a diagnosis. Mike Radford, executive producer of the upcoming documentary, said: 'This is the first time Heston has given his account of what happened for a documentary. 'We're grateful to Heston for giving such a raw and unfiltered view of his life with this condition, which we know impacts the lives of so many people.' The film, recorded over the course of six months, will see Heston and his loved ones about how his undiagnosed bipolar disorder affected them. He will also speak about how he has since managed undergoing long-term treatment for it - which he has previously said has impacted his energy and creativity. The chef, known for experimental creations like snail porridge and bacon and egg ice cream, told Newsnight in February medication initially left him 'zombified', with 'no energy at all'. He said: 'As my medications have been changed and my levels of self-confidence and self-awareness have gone up I realise my imagination and creativity is still there. 'It was at levels that were so extreme before... looking back I can remember during my manic highs I was interrupting myself with ideas.' The documentary will track his journey towards recovery and returning to work, to run his Michelin-starred restaurants The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, and Dinner, in London, and pub The Hind's Head, also in Bray.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Heston Blumenthal: I planned my own death before being sectioned
Heston Blumenthal has admitted he was 'planning his own death' in the weeks before he was sectioned. The 59-year-old celebrity chef opened up about the manic episode he experienced before he was sent to a psychiatric ward in November 2023. He said he hallucinated a gun on the table, heard voices, and was planning out his death. Blumenthal said some nine people arrived at his house in Provence, France, to take him away as he explained how he was 'pinned down' by authorities. The renowned restaurateur – who spent 20 days in a ward – told the I'm ADHD! No You're Not podcast of the symptoms he experienced before he was sectioned. He said: 'I was hallucinating objects so I hallucinated a gun on the table, and drew it. 'I was talking about planning my death, I was hallucinating sounds, so thinking someone's talking over there ... I hallucinated touch.' Blumenthal was sectioned in November 2023 after his wife Melanie Ceysson called the authorities. The chef described the moment they arrived at his house to take him away. He said: 'I was here in the house, I was alone... There was a knock on the door, and there was a policeman. 'I thought that was a bit weird, because in the garden, you've got to jump over a wall to get in here. 'Anyway, I opened the door, he came in, and he was all sort of, you know, armour-plated up, and he seemed like a really nice bloke ... I didn't think what on earth was happening.' Blumenthal continued: 'Then there's another knock, the door opens, another policeman comes in, he's got a torch on his shoulder ... then there's another knock on the door, and there's a doctor with some kind of assistant, and five firemen. 'So there were nine people there, and they said, 'Oh, we're going to give you an injection or something, and take you to hospital'... I get pinned down on the sofa, my arms are crossed ... and I had two people on each arm, and then I was fighting. 'And then I saw the doctor pull out this massive syringe, and I thought, just go with it, and then I got injected. 'Next thing I wake up in a room, which was basically a cell, with a big grey plastic mattress, I've been undressed, and I got some kind of, I don't know, some pyjama prison outfit on me.'
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
BBC commissions 'raw and unfiltered' documentary about popular TV chef's bipolar diagnosis - after psychotic mania left him sectioned in hospital
The BBC has commissioned a 'raw and unfiltered' documentary about a popular TV chef's life following his bipolar diagnosis - after he was sectioned for a manic episode. Heston Blumenthal, 58, known for presenting Channel 4 shows Heston's Fantastical Food and Heston's Feasts, was diagnosed with the condition in November 2023 after he began experiencing hallucinations, mania and even suicidal thoughts. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder which causes unusual and often sudden changes in mood and energy levels. The English chef and restaurateur, 58, previously told how his wife French entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson, 36, made the brave choice to have him sectioned - which he has since said 'saved my life'. After being hospitalised for two months, he is now feeling much better, with the help of medication - and wants to use his experience to raise awareness of the condition. And now, the BBC is set to release an hour-long film on June 19 called Heston: My Life With Bipolar about the aftermath of his diagnosis. The documentary will also look into the state of healthcare for those with bipolar in the UK, with Heston talking to others who also have the condition about their experiences. He said: 'It took me 50 years to get a diagnosis, so it's been an extraordinary journey to get where I am today. 'There is still a big stigma around bipolar, but it is vital to be able to talk openly about the condition. 'I know this isn't always easy, but I hope by sharing my experience in this documentary people will gain a greater understanding of bipolar and an insight into my life now.' Heston, who has an impressive seven Michelin stars, became an ambassador for Bipolar UK in February. The charity describes the mental health condition as an episodic disorder characterised by potentially extreme changes in energy and mood. It carries the highest suicide risk of any mental health condition. Bipolar UK estimates more than one million adults in Britain have the disorder - which is 30 per cent more than the number of people with dementia. But it is thought some 56 per cent of those living with bipolar in the UK do not have a diagnosis. Mike Radford, executive producer of the upcoming documentary, said: 'This is the first time Heston has given his account of what happened for a documentary. 'We're grateful to Heston for giving such a raw and unfiltered view of his life with this condition, which we know impacts the lives of so many people.' The film, recorded over the course of six months, will see Heston and his loved ones about how his undiagnosed bipolar disorder affected them. He will also speak about how he has since managed undergoing long-term treatment for it - which he has previously said has impacted his energy and creativity. The chef, known for experimental creations like snail porridge and bacon and egg ice cream, told Newsnight in February medication initially left him 'zombified', with 'no energy at all'. He said: 'As my medications have been changed and my levels of self-confidence and self-awareness have gone up I realise my imagination and creativity is still there. 'It was at levels that were so extreme before... looking back I can remember during my manic highs I was interrupting myself with ideas.' The documentary will track his journey towards recovery and returning to work, to run his Michelin-starred restaurants The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, and Dinner, in London, and pub The Hind's Head, also in Bray. It comes after a heart-wrenching tell-all interview Heston gave to This Morning in March, recounting his suicidal thoughts and how he hallucinated about guns. The chef spoke about his mental health struggles to presenters Cat Deeley, 48, and Ben Shepherd, 50, to mark bipolar awareness month. He is keen to raise awareness about the condition, explaining the figures about the high number of people living with it in the UK - along with the significant proportion of those who are undiagnosed. The food critic explained before his diagnosis, he had stepped away from cooking and had a bit more time on his hands, which meant manic episodes became more prevalent. Heston said on the ITV show: 'In the darker moments, there was suicidal thoughts... 'I realised afterwards, it's quite a classic symptom of being in a mania stage you can hallucinate sound, smell, touch. I saw a gun on the table. 'I told my wife, which obviously, for me, it all seemed quite normal. I looked back at it, there was nothing normal about it.' WHAT IS BIPOLAR? Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder which causes unusual and often sudden changes in mood and energy levels. WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? Moods of those with bipolar disorder range from periods of extreme elation and energy (known as a manic episode) to periods of extreme somberness and lack of energy (known as a depressive episode). HOW IS IT DIAGNOSED? According to the International Bipolar Foundation, sufferers are diagnosed with rapid cycling if they have four or more manic, hypomanic, or depressive episodes in any 12-month period. This severe form of the condition occurs in around 10 to 20 percent of all people with bipolar disorder. WHAT CAUSES IT? Currently it is unknown what is the cause of bipolar disorder, which affects around 5.7 million US adults aged 18 or older. Scientists say genetics could play a role or that those with a a family history of bipolar disorder are more likely to have it. Heston wants to break the stigma surrounding the disorder and confessed that he had 'no idea' he had it. He explained: 'It was about 13/14 months ago when I was sectioned. 'I got the diagnosis. I had no idea. I was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, so there is quite a big cross over with ADHD and Bipolar. There are similar symptoms. 'I really didn't think about it until having sort of manic highs and dropping to these lows. 'When you're on these manic highs, you get this sense of I don't know, you think I'm superman, everything is beautiful. 'Then something happens, it's a bit like an an overreactive child that's really having a great time, then someone moves something and then they have a mini tantrum. 'Then you can go into these sort of darker moments.' Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural condition defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. The restaurant owner also praised his wife Melanie for having him sectioned: 'It was the best thing that could have happened to me.' Cat said: 'That is very brave of her.' 'She didn't know if I'd blame her so much, that there was resentment build it,' he continued, 'But it saved my life.' After two months of hospitalisation he was put on medication 'that is continually being tweaked'. Heston said: 'I can look back and think blimey, those highs and lows, now I am definitely in the process of stabilising.'
