Fears for Anne as she reveals heartache of losing dad
THE secret heartache behind Anne Hegerty’s shock decision to go into the jungle can now be revealed – her beloved dad Ken’s death.
The star, who was in tears on last night’s show amid fears she may quit, said he inspired her to push herself to succeed as she coped with autism, which was not diagnosed until she was 47 in 2005.
She said Ken, who died a year ago, would have backed her decision to go into the jungle. “My dad was the one who told me ‘you can do this’ I’m sure one day you will accomplish something’. He was the only person who told me I could do things.”
She said he was delighted when she become a star on ITV quiz show The Chase. “He was thrilled about my success and I wish I had more time to spend with him. He would have liked that,” she added.
I’m A Celebrity bosses have told Anne they would monitor her closely because of her autism. Insiders say there are concerns she could quit after breaking down just hours into the jungle adventure. Speaking before she went into the jungle, Anne said: “The bosses seem more anxious about it than I do.
“They keep saying you must say if there’s a problem and I keep saying, ‘well guys, I’ll be fine’.”
However she added: “Being surrounded by people I can’t get away from or those who talk all the time can be a source of stress.”
On last night’s show, Anne spoke of how she was a hoarder, which came about because of her condition. She said: “I get overwhelmed by all the things there are to do, I’ve no idea.”
Fellow Chase quizzer Shaun Wallace tweeted his support for her: “We are all rooting for you!”
The National Autistic Society also tweeted it was “backing @annehegerty on her £imaceleb journey”.
Asperger’s is one of a range of syndromes known as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It affects a person’s social interaction and behaviour.
The NHS said about one in 100 people in the UK has ASD.