Dyslexia heartbreak of Real Housewives’ Tanya Wag reveals classroom hell and fears
REALITY star Tanya Bardsley has revealed that she grew up feeling stupid and dreaded school – not realising she had dyslexia.
The Real Housewives of Cheshire favourite was diagnosed just four years ago after discovering her son Rocco, 11, also has the learning disorder.
“I always just thought I was thick,” said Tanya, 39. “I’d cry at school. At the thought of doing public reading, I’d just burst into tears.
“I thought I was stupid and weird because all my other classmates could do it normally. I hated it.
“I’d struggle to sleep, dreading going in. It was humiliating. There were sniggers when I read in front of class.
“There was a sinking feeling. It was awful, I still remember it to this day.
“When I found out I was dyslexic, I was so relieved I wasn’t thick.”
Mum-of-four Tanya is married to Burnley defender Phil, 34.
He also has dyslexia so getting to grips with home schooling Rocco and their other sons Renz, eight, and Ralphi, three, has been stressful.
“It’s horrific,” she said. “It’s really hard for dyslexic parents to do. The kids are driving me crazy.”
The life coach and former model, who also has daughter Gabriella, 19, from a previous relationship, added: “We don’t send our kids to private schools but my friends who do have actual Zoom lessons. My kids’ school has not been doing that.
“The school has been sending emails but as someone with dyslexia, I just don’t get it. So how am I meant to teach that?
“There have been a lot of tears in lockdown – from me, mainly.”
Tanya, who is talking about her dyslexia for the first time, says she was hit by a wave of guilt when she realised she may have passed on the disorder to her children. “With Rocco, they did this little game at school on the computer and he was diagnosed,” she said. “They say it’s hereditary so at the time, the teacher said she thought I had it as well.
“Me and Phil were in bed and I was crying. I thought it was all my fault as it’s hereditary and we’d given all our kids it.”
But Tanya says she was reassured by her husband, who is still close pals with his ex-manchester United teammate Wayne Rooney.
“Phil said, ‘Look at us. Look how far we’ve come from working-class families. We’ve done really well. We’ve both overcome it’.
“I tell Rocco he might not be as good at reading but he’s an amazing footballer. He’s signed for Stoke City.”
Tanya, who also owns her own fashion boutique, says her undiagnosed dyslexia caused her to develop mental health issues.
“I’ve always struggled with anxiety and depression,” she said. “That’s why I became a life coach.
“I’m passionate about helping other people.
“Your mind is like your bum – if you don’t train, it gets saggy.”
Tanya also wants to show other dyslexics what they can achieve after working on a book during the lockdown at her Wilmslow mansion.
She said: “George Bush has it, Richard Branson…
You do overcome it, but it takes you a bit longer to read and write.”
I was crying in bed to Phil, thinking I’d given our kids it