Nicky Campbell
In his new book, Nicky Campbell reveals how the love of his dog helped him to cope with being an adopted child and his bipolar diagnosis…
Nicky Campbell has been the voice of reason with his BBC Radio 5 Live phone-in since 2003, and is best known for hosting ITV’s Long LostFamily, alongside Davina McCall. In his new book, Nicky, 59, – who with his wife Tina has four daughters, Breagha, 22, Lilla, 19, Kirsty, 17 and Isla,
15 – opens up on how adoption made him feel like an outsider; the guilt he carried towards his mum and dad for needing to trace his birth mother, and the crushing disappointment he felt when he finally met her.
Did hosting Long Lost Family help to change your outlook on adoption?
It did help to bring my feelings to the surface, after being on the programme for 11 years. I felt disloyal to my Irish birth mother, Stella, for not searching her out sooner. When I did meet her, I felt guilty because I didn’t have the feelings for her that I thought I should have. I had many contrasting emotions which led to my breakdown and being diagnosed as bipolar. I tried to lock things away. But you can never really lock those things away.
How supportive was your wife, Tina, during your breakdown and subsequent diagnosis?
She was always loving and supportive. She knew I was going off the rails, she watched me plummeting. I think she thought that having a dog at the heart of the family would help me, because she knew I loved dogs. So she went out and brought this little puppy called Maxwell – and he helped bring about a magical change in me.
You claim Maxwell played a huge part in helping you turn your life around. Where does your love of dogs come from?
I’ve always loved dogs since I was a child. My adoptive parents had a dog called Candy and I made an immediate connection; I just gravitate towards them. I love it when people ask what we did to deserve dogs – because there is no simple answer. I’ve had Maxwell for 12 years and I can’t tell you what a difference he has made to my life.
You say in the book, ‘Dogs bring out the best in us.’ Can you expand on that?
If we look at dogs and the way they behave towards us, we understand what unconditional love really means. When I was at one of my lowest points I’d come home, sit on the sofa and suddenly Maxwell would jump up on it next to me and rest his