STRICTLY Come Dancing star Toyah Willcox has revealed how she came close to ending her life at a notorious suicide spot.
The actress and punk legend was only saved thanks to the quick-thinking of a passing policeman.
Strictly star Toyah Willcox recalled how she tried to take her own life[/caption]
Toyah was in her early 20s when she found herself standing on a bridge[/caption]
The punk icon admitted she was ‘heartbroken’ at the time[/caption]
The incident unfolded when Toyah was living in London in her early 20s and was trying to make it in showbiz.
Recalling what happened, she said: “The route from my flat took me across a bridge so I grew accustomed to the view from the bridge at dawn.
“In those days there was little traffic on the roads at 5am. The bridge mesmerised me. I could understand why many a lonely person had jumped from it.
“I contemplated jumping every time I crossed it. Sometimes because I was drunk and bolshie. But most of the time because I was heartbroken.
“Back then loneliness and rejection were a big part of my life.”
Writing in her memoir Living Out Loud, Toyah said these feelings eventually mushroomed into her trying to end her life one morning.
The 66-year-old star revealed: “It was, about 4.30am, the sun was rising on the bridge.
“I’d spent the night at a succession of parties. On the way home I stood watching the view from the bridge. It always made me cry.
“I thought to myself, ‘What would it be like to jump?’. So, looking around to make sure the coast was clear, I climbed the high railings and dared myself to jump.
“As I balanced on the railings I thought of mum and dad, my brother and sister and how they would feel. It would destroy them. I thought of ending all possibilities, and decided I didn’t ever want to jump. But by now it was too late.”
Explaining what happened next, Toyah went on: “Then, a hand grabbed my ankle. I almost fell forward.
“A voice came, ‘Don’t do it. Just don’t do it’. I turned and it was a policeman. He was white as a sheet.
“Where he appeared from I had no idea. There was no bicycle, no car, no footsteps. We talked for an hour…and parted friends.”
Toyah – born with a twisted spine, a clubbed right foot and one leg shorter than the other – recently spoke out about her health struggles and revealed she has suffered from crippling insomnia since she was just 14.
YOU’RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organizations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
In an interview, she discussed how her sleep issues started during her school days, when she was under pressure to perform well in exams.
She recalled: “I experienced the typical teenage stress that the pressure of cramming for exams, and then sitting there for hours on end doing them brings.
Toyah is competing in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing alongside her professional partner Neil Jones.
The celebrities and their partners took to the dance floor for the first time last week, with Toyah and Neil performing a Tango.
Unfortunately, their attempts fell flat with the judges and they only received a score of 12. This placed them at the bottom of the leaderboard.
Fans, however, were outraged and felt Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Anton Du Beke had been unduly harsh.
Toyah is partnered with Neil Jones on Strictly Come Dancing[/caption]
The pair found themselves at the bottom of the leaderboard last week[/caption]
