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Edinburgh Live
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
Celebrity Traitors' Celia Imrie suffered ‘horrific' treatment in doctor's ‘sleep room'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Former patients of psychiatrist William Sargant have revealed the horrifying treatment they received at a renowned London hospital. Author Jon Stock has collected stories from several of Sargant's victims, including well-known actress and star of 'Celebrity Traitors', Celia Imrie. Speaking to the Mirror, Jon said that a majority of the people subjected to Sargant's cruel "Sleep Room" therapies were women and young girls. The troubling revelations include Sargant's preference for lobotomising unhappily-married women, rather than allowing them to go through with divorce. Sargant justified his disturbing stance by saying: "A depressed woman, for instance, may owe her illness to a psychopathic husband who cannot change and will not accept treatment. Separation might be the answer, but... we have seen patients enabled by a [lobotomy] to return to the difficult environment and cope with it in a way which had hitherto been impossible." (Image: Hilary Stock) The unethical doctor went as far as humiliating his female patients by having them parade nearly-nude before audiences of medical students. Amongst those mistreated by Sargant is acclaimed actress Celia Imrie, whose credits include hits like 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel'. She is set to appear again on television screens in the BBC's 'Celebrity Traitors'. Imrie confided to Jon about developing an eating disorder during her youth after being labelled "too big" to realise her ambition of becoming a ballet dancer. (Image: GL Weekend) She detailed her extreme efforts to lose weight, stating: "I worked out every means possible to dispose of food, determined to get 'small' enough to be a dancer, and I was soon little more than a carcass with skin." Her experience under the care of Sargant was disturbing, as she recounted: "The side effects were startling. My hands shook uncontrollably for most of the day, and I'd wake up to find clumps of my hair on the pillow." Celia described the harrowing ordeal: "But the worst consequence was that everything I saw was in double vision. When Sargant came into the room, there were two of him. It was horrific and terrifying." She further explained the treatment's impact: "Even simple tasks such as picking up a glass of water became impossible. I was injected with insulin every day too. Sargant was a big believer in fattening up his patients to get them well and you soon put on weight with insulin. "I think I had what was called 'sub-coma shock treatment'– you weren't given enough insulin to induce a hypoglycaemic coma, but it was enough to make you drowsy, weak, sweaty and hungry." She added: "I will never know for sure if I was given electric shocks during my stay," due to missing medical records, a situation Celia blames on Sargant: "Some years back, I tried to find my hospital records, to see the details of my treatment. Unfortunately, Sargant seems to have taken away a lot of his patients' records, including mine, when he retired from the NHS in 1972." (Image: Alamy Stock Photo) She concluded with lingering doubts, expressing: "Either that, or they were destroyed. I can't remember ECT happening to me, but I can remember it happening to others." Sargant's methods were brutal and included electroshock therapy. "I vividly recall every sight, sound and smell," Celia remembered. "The huge rubber plug jammed between her teeth; the strange almost silent cry, like a sigh of pain, she made as her tormented body shuddered and jerked; the scent of burning hair and flesh. It was a terrible thing for a fourteen-year-old to witness." (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Women were placed in Sargant's care for the most trivial of reasons. Jon told the Mirror that patient Mary Thornton was admitted to The Sleep Room after her parents suspected she was having a romance with an "inappropriate" boy. She told Jon that she also only has patchy memories of her treatment: "One is of the electrodes being attached to the side of my head. I remember the complete, utter terror because I didn't even know who I was." Jon says this was a common reason for young women's hospitalisation: "In the mid 1960s, for example, a wealthy businessman contacted Sargant, explaining that his daughter had fallen in love with an "unsuitable" local man in Europe and wanted to marry him." Sargant was tasked with curing the young girl's love-struck "madness." He explains: "A photo later emerged of Sargant, the father and a heavily sedated daughter standing at the door of the aeroplane that had returned her to the UK." A former student at the hospital told Jon: "Basically, Sargant brought this attractive young woman back at the end of a needle." Rumours link Sargant to the CIA's infamous MK Ultra "mind control" programme, with speculation that the US spy agency may have funded some of his work. Jon states: " The minutes of St Thomas' Research Advisory Committee meeting reveal that in September 1963, Sargant announced that an anonymous donor would fund the salary of a research registrar (£80,000 a year in today's money) for two years. Sargant refused to reveal the donor's identity." (Image: Chris Floyd) Jon confirms that Sargant did have ties to the intelligence community, stating: "Sargant did regular work for MI5 – in 1967, for example, he was called in to assess the mental health of Vladimir Tkachenko, a suspected Russian defector." However, Jon admits that proving Sargant's association with the CIA is one of the most challenging aspects of the story. One former serviceman, Eric Gow, who participated in drug trials under the impression he was helping to cure the common cold, reported being given massive doses of LSD. Jon says that Gow claims to recall seeing Sargant overseeing some of these experiments at the MOD's chemical and biological research facility at Porton Down. The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal by Jon Stock is published by the Bridge Street Press (£25).
Wales Online
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Celebrity Traitors star opens up on ‘coma shock treatment' at hands of cruel doctor
Celebrity Traitors star opens up on 'coma shock treatment' at hands of cruel doctor Celia Imrie, who is set to appear in the BBC's upcoming Celebrity Traitors series, was subjected to a series of cruel treatments at the hands of psychiatrist William Sargant - including being put into a 'sub-coma' Celia Imrie was one of many young women entrusted to the care of psychiatrist William Sargant (Image: Karwai Tang, WireImagevia Getty Images ) Former patients of a secure psychiatric ward at a prominent London hospital have come forward to share the traumatic experiences they endured under the care of psychiatrist William Sargant, who subjected them to inhumane and unethical treatments. For his new book, The Sleep Room, author Jon Stock spoke with several of Sargant's victims, including actress Celia Imrie, known for her roles in films such as Bridget Jones's Diary and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, as well as her upcoming appearance in the BBC's Celebrity Traitors. A disturbing pattern emerged, revealing that the majority of Sargant's patients in the notorious "Sleep Room" were women and young girls. In some cases, Sargant even recommended lobotomies as a solution for unhappy wives, rather than suggesting divorce or separation. His twisted rationale was that this drastic procedure would enable them to cope with their difficult circumstances. Jon Stock spoke to several of Sargant's former patients (Image: Hilary Stock ) Sargant's blatant disregard for his female patients' dignity and well-being was exemplified by his practice of parading them, semi-naked, in front of rooms filled with medical students. Celia Imrie, who was also under Sargant's care, told Jon how she had developed an eating disorder as a young girl, after being told she was "too big" to pursue her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. She recalled: "I worked out every means possible to dispose of food, determined to get 'small' enough to be a dancer, and I was soon little more than a carcass with skin." Article continues below She found herself under the care of Sargant. Celia shared: "The side effects were startling. My hands shook uncontrollably for most of the day, and I'd wake up to find clumps of my hair on the pillow." Celia Imrie says that all records of her treatment have mysteriously vanished (Image: GL Weekend ) Celia said that one of the most disturbing side-effects of Sargant's treatment was that everything she saw was in double vision: "When Sargant came into the room, there were two of him. It was horrific and terrifying. "Even simple tasks such as picking up a glass of water became impossible. I was injected with insulin every day too. Sargant was a big believer in fattening up his patients to get them well and you soon put on weight with insulin. I think I had what was called 'sub-coma shock treatment'– you weren't given enough insulin to induce a hypoglycaemic coma, but it was enough to make you drowsy, weak, sweaty and hungry. "I will never know for sure if I was given electric shocks during my stay," Celia added. "Some years back, I tried to find my hospital records, to see the details of my treatment. Unfortunately, Sargant seems to have taken away a lot of his patients' records, including mine, when he retired from the NHS in 1972. "Either that, or they were destroyed. I can't remember ECT happening to me, but I can remember it happening to others." Celie is one of the stars in line for the BBC's Celebrity Traitors Sargant's brutal methods included frequent electroshock treatments. Celia recounted the harrowing experience, "I vividly recall every sight, sound and smell," describing the distressing scene she witnessed at just 14-years-old. Women were entrusted to Sargant for the most trivial of reasons. Jon revealed to the Mirror a case where patient Mary Thornton was placed in The Sleep Room because her parents disapproved of her relationship with an "unsuitable" boy. She shared with Jon her fragmented memories: "One is of the electrodes being attached to the side of my head. I remember the complete, utter terror because I didn't even know who I was." Many of the records of Sargant's work at the Royal Waterloo have been lost (Image: Universal Images Group via Getty Images ) Jon noted that this was often the reason for young women being admitted to the hospital: "In the mid 1960s, for example, a wealthy businessman contacted Sargant, explaining that his daughter had fallen in love with an 'unsuitable' local man in Europe and wanted to marry him." Sargant was tasked with treating the girl's infatuation, which was seen as insanity. He detailed, "A photo later emerged of Sargant, the father and a heavily sedated daughter standing at the door of the aeroplane that had returned her to the UK." A former student at the hospital told Jon about the incident: "Basically, Sargant brought this attractive young woman back at the end of a needle." Sargant himself underwent psychiatric treatment earlier in his life (Image: Alamy Stock Photo ) It has even been claimed that Sargant may have had ties to the CIA's infamous MK Ultra "mind control" programme. According to Jon, there are whispers that the US spy agency may have provided funding for some of Sargant's work. Jon explains: "The minutes of St Thomas' Research Advisory Committee meeting reveal that in September 1963, Sargant announced that an anonymous donor would fund the salary of a research registrar (£80,000 a year in today's money) for two years. Sargant refused to reveal the donor's identity." Jon confirms that Sargant did have links to the intelligence community, stating: "Sargant did regular work for MI5 – in 1967, for example, he was called in to assess the mental health of Vladimir Tkachenko, a suspected Russian defector." Article continues below He also admits that solid proof of Sargant's association with the CIA is hard to find. However, he notes that Eric Gow, a former serviceman who participated in drug trials under the guise of helping to cure the common cold, was administered large doses of LSD. Jon believes that Gow may have seen Sargant overseeing some of these experiments at the MOD's chemical and biological research facility at Porton Down. The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal by Jon Stock is published by the Bridge Street Press (£25).
Daily Mirror
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Celebrity Traitors star survived 'horrors' under doc who 'electrocuted' patients
A British doctor who presided over inhuman experiments to cure patients of 'illnesses' from eating disorders to unsuitable love affairs may also have been involved with the CIA's mind-control experiments says author Jon Stock Former inmates of a secure psychiatric ward at a central London hospital have revealed the harrowing story of psychiatrist William Sargant's brutally unethical treatments. Author Jon Stock met with a number of Sargant's patients, including award-winning actress and Celebrity Traitors star Celia Imrie. A disturbing majority of Sargant's patients in the so-called 'Sleep Room' were women and young girls, Jon Stock told the Mirror. More than once Sargant recommended a lobotomy, instead of divorce or separation, for unhappy wives. The sick doctor once explained: 'A depressed woman, for instance, may owe her illness to a psychopathic husband who cannot change and will not accept treatment. Separation might be the answer, but... we have seen patients enabled by a [lobotomy] to return to the difficult environment and cope with it in a way which had hitherto been impossible.' Sargant's callous disregard for the women under his care extended to parading them, nearly-naked in front of rooms full of medical students. Celia Imrie was another victim of Sargant. The actress has starred in dozens of British movies from Bridget Jones's Diary to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and is soon to be back on our screens in the BBC's Celebrity Traitors. She told Jon how she developed an eating disorder as a young girl, after being told she was 'too big' to pursue her dream of becoming a ballet dancer. She explained: 'I worked out every means possible to dispose of food, determined to get 'small' enough to be a dancer, and I was soon little more than a carcass with skin.' She soon found herself in the hands of Sargant. Celia said: 'The side effects were startling. My hands shook uncontrollably for most of the day, and I'd wake up to find clumps of my hair on the pillow. 'But the worst consequence was that everything I saw was in double vision. When Sargant came into the room, there were two of him. It was horrific and terrifying. 'Even simple tasks such as picking up a glass of water became impossible. I was injected with insulin every day too. Sargant was a big believer in fattening up his patients to get them well and you soon put on weight with insulin. I think I had what was called 'sub-coma shock treatment'– you weren't given enough insulin to induce a hypoglycaemic coma, but it was enough to make you drowsy, weak, sweaty and hungry. 'I will never know for sure if I was given electric shocks during my stay," Celia added. "Some years back, I tried to find my hospital records, to see the details of my treatment. Unfortunately, Sargant seems to have taken away a lot of his patients' records, including mine, when he retired from the NHS in 1972. 'Either that, or they were destroyed. I can't remember ECT happening to me, but I can remember it happening to others.' Sargant's barbaric methods included regular electroshock treatments. 'I vividly recall every sight, sound and smell,' Celia recalled. 'The huge rubber plug jammed between her teeth; the strange almost silent cry, like a sigh of pain, she made as her tormented body shuddered and jerked; the scent of burning hair and flesh. It was a terrible thing for a fourteen-year-old to witness.' Women were put in Sargant's hands for the flimsiest of reasons. Jon told the Mirror that patient Mary Thornton was admitted to The Sleep Room after her parents suspected that her romance with an 'unsuitable' boy. She told Jon that she also only has patchy memories of her treatment: 'One is of the electrodes being attached to the side of my head. I remember the complete, utter terror because I didn't even know who I was.' Jon says this was a common cause of young women's hospitalisation: 'In the mid 1960s, for example, a wealthy businessman contacted Sargant, explaining that his daughter had fallen in love with an 'unsuitable' local man in Europe and wanted to marry him.' Sargant was employed to help cure the young girl's love-struck 'madness.' He explains: 'A photo later emerged of Sargant, the father and a heavily sedated daughter standing at the door of the aeroplane that had returned her to the UK.' One former student at the hospital told Jon: 'Basically, Sargant brought this attractive young woman back at the end of a needle.' According to some sources, Sargant is also associated with the CIA 's bizarre 'mind control' program MK Ultra. Jon says that there are rumours that the US spy agency helped fund Som of Sargant's work. He explains: ' The minutes of St Thomas' Research Advisory Committee meeting reveal that in September 1963, Sargant announced that an anonymous donor would fund the salary of a research registrar (£80,000 a year in today's money) for two years. Sargant refused to reveal the donor's identity.' He certainly had some involvement with the intelligence community, Jon says: 'Sargant did regular work for MI5 – in 1967, for example, he was called in to assess the mental health of Vladimir Tkachenko, a suspected Russian defector.' Admitting that Sargant's association with the CIA is one of the hardest parts of the story to prove. Jon says that Eric Gow, a former serviceman who had volunteered to undergo drug trials – under the impression that he was helping cure the common cold – was given massive doses of LSD. He says that he feels sure he recalls seeing Sargant overseeing some of this bizarre experiments at the MOD 's chemical and biological research facility at Porton Down. The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal by Jon Stock is published by the Bridge Street Press (£25).
Wales Online
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
BBC Celebrity Traitors line-up 'includes Bob Mortimer and Line of Duty star'
BBC Celebrity Traitors line-up 'includes Bob Mortimer and Line of Duty star' A full list of celebrities who will be appearing on the BBC show Celebrity Traitors has been revealed and it includes stars from Netflix, Good Morning Britain, EastEnders and more It's unclear when exactly Celebrity Traitors will premiere in 2025, though it's believed to be sometime in autumn (Image: Getty Images for BAFTA ) Twenty stars are rumoured to be featuring in the first-ever Celebrity Traitors, according to reports. The line-up is said to include Hollywood actors, singers and a host of big names from the TV. While Blackadder legend, Stephen Fry, was the first contestant to come to light last year, The Sun has now unveiled the names of 18 other co-stars to play alongside him. Comedians Alan Carr and Lucy Beaumont, TV presenter Jonathan Ross and Good Morning Britain's Kate Garraway are all reportedly on the list. A show insider also told the publication that Line Of Duty's Mark Bonnar, sports presenter Clare Balding and actress Celia Imrie are set to feature. Celia Imrie is known for her roles in various Hollywood movies, including Bridget Jones' Diary, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Celia Imrie is known for her roles in various Hollywood movies including The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (Image: WireImage ) Charlotte Church, Picking Up the Pieces singer Paloma Faith and Brit-nominated Cat Burns are among the singers rumoured to be in the line-up, while Netflix star Ruth Codd and EastEnders' Tameka Empson are also expected to appear. Article continues below In fact, a show source reportedly hopes that Tameka will become 'one of the most successful contestants', thanks to her acting skills on screen. Other celebrities include YouTuber Niko Omilana, who famously came fifth in the London Mayoral elections in 2021, and historian David Olusoga. Olympian Tom Daley and former rugby union player Joe Marler are on the shared line-up too, in addition to Ted Lasso's Nick Mohammed, comedian Joe Wilkinson and funny man Bob Mortimer. A source told the Mirror of the new series: "There will be a huge mix of personalities - and ego sizes. Seeing how it all works out is going to be fascinating. "The team making the show are expecting it to be quite different to the regular version because the celebrities will be less motivated by the prize fund but care far more about how they come across. Olympian Tom Daley and former rugby union player Joe Marler are on the shared line-up (Image: Getty Images ) "It will be really interesting to see how the gameplay compares, along with which tactics they employ. Hopefully one thing that will remain the same is that it will be a lot of fun to watch." However, a BBC spokesperson told WalesOnline: "The Traitors includes lies and deception, so it would be foolhardy for any Faithful to speculate before the game has begun." The exact premiere date for Celebrity Traitors in 2025 is yet to be confirmed, but it's expected to be sometime in autumn. The series will consist of nine episodes, with production set to kick off this month. A complete list of the unveiled cast members is below: Article continues below Cat Burns Charlotte Church Paloma Faith Kate Garraway Tameka Empson Ruth Codd Lucy Beaumont Clare Balding Joe Wilkinson Jonathan ross Mark Bonnar Alan Carr Celia Imrie Nick Mohammed Niko Omilana David Olusoga Tom Daley Joe Marler Stephen Fry Bob Mortimer What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below.
Telegraph
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Backstroke: It's a tough watch – but Celia Imrie and Tamsin Greig are superb
The chance to see Celia Imrie and Tamsin Greig on stage together – and up close at the 250-seat Donmar too – has meant that tickets are scarce for Backstroke, despite Anna Mackmin's play being flagged as a tough watch. Although the title's swimming reference is duly honoured and explained, 'stroke' is the operative word; the evening explores the distressing aftermath of one. Set those two names side by side and you'll likely think of comedy in the first instance. Aside from being in the latest Bridget Jones film, and The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel hits, Imrie is still cherished as the affected Miss Babs in Victoria Wood's Acorn Antiques skits, while Greig is a darling of British sitcom who became adored as just-coping Jackie in Friday Night Dinner. Despite Imrie playing a critically ill mother called Beth, and Greig her beleaguered daughter Bo, there are aspects of the evening that play to these strengths. Mackmin's script jumps about in time, achieving an Ab Fab dynamic in its evocation of Beth as an outspoken, boho child of the Sixties – whose metier is woven sculptures – and her sensible, self-contained offspring. But there's no sugar-coating it, the core of the piece confronts what many of us will likely go through, and many of us have to witness: a medical crisis that renders a once autonomous adult incapacitated, and approaching the point of no return. A wail of ambulance sirens ushers in the sight of Imrie bed-bound in hospital, staring into space. If you're easily triggered perhaps steer clear, but catharsis may await too. Mackmin valuably catches the agonising shared powerlessness, and nigh impossible decisions on treatment. The obvious topical, and ethical, considerations around end-of-life care are only gently touched on, though, apparent most in Bo's recoiling at the issue of long-term support (this struggling TV writer has a disturbed adopted daughter to contend with). Mackmin's main focus is on huge emotional upset, the way we are borne back into the past during these crunch-moments – revisiting causes of resentment, and happier times too. The dramatic structure neatly mimics synaptic connections as it builds up the backstory, requiring the leads to convey their characters at different ages. But Mackmin, who also directs, errs towards overload. Bursts of flickery video convey a home-movie of the mind, but are distracting too. Stirring? It is, but running at two hours plus an interval, momentum flags. Even so, the production confirms Greig as one of our finest actresses – her deadpan features a surface beneath which churns so much; she can convey incredulity with a raised eyebrow, exhaustion with a sustained blink. A choked-up funeral oration achieves a wrenching sense of belated filial appreciation. And Imrie musters the complexity of this raffish, motley matriarch, who, when active, smokes at breakfast, dishes out tactless insults, divulges her sexual history with disinhibition and becomes ditzily inclined to malapropisms. A show, then, not unlike a domineering but dear relative: there's much to pick away at but much to hold on to and admire too.
