DJ Can't Even Look at Fruit and Veg | Addicted to Junk Food | Freaky Eaters (UK) S2 E2 | Only Human

successful radio DJ Chris Hawkins appears to have it all a glamorous career a lovely hands and a beautiful weather girl wife but Chris hides a guilty secret for the past 21 years he's been addicted to junk food I drink a lot when I go out a lot and I eat junk food out a lot pretty much everything that is bad for me the reason Chris gobbles junk food is because he's petrified of fruit and vegetables he can't look at or touch them or even say their names the thought of ever eating fruit vegetables may feel physically sick I would say it's a phobia unless Chris changes his ways he faces a lifetime of emasculating health problems men testicular atrophy which means their testicles become smaller their breasts become bigger getting him to face his fears will be the job of clinical psychologist Stephen briars and nutritionist Matt Lee Savona Natalie will be putting her foot down and encouraging Chris to try new foods while Stephen will try to persuade Chris that overcoming his phobias needs a giant leap of faith smooth but turning Chris from a terrified phobic to a full-on foodie isn't gonna be using radio DJ chris Hawkins lives in London at only 31 Chris has secured top slots on two of the Capitals premier radio stations LBC and BBC Radio 6 hello good morning and welcome to Wednesday people think the DJ is the most glamorous job in the world way get paid loads of money for just seeing and putting records on you don't get paid loads of money but you do get to sit and play your favourite records on the radio which i think is just the biggest privilege in the world Chris lives in a beautiful home with his wife Claire a GM TV weathergirl he might appear to have an M via belite but there's just one problem Chris's diet is a nutritional nightmare of junk food takeaways coffee and booze because they work really strange hours you tend to eat whatever is quickest and easiest it means I'm drinking lots and lots of coffee to stay awake and I eat junk food a lot but all of the time it's just stuff that most people will consider unhealthy Chris's poor diet is the result of an embarrassing secret he's terrified of fruit and vegetables I hate even saying fruit and vegetables it's just stuff to me I stuff that I don't like and that in itself sounds ridiculous I know in restaurants Clare has to remove all fresh produce from Chris's plate he can only bear to eat the meat if vegetables haven't touched it when we moved in together I realized he had an issue because the fruit bowl was never on the table it was stuffed in the airing cupboard he literally used I'll just chip it out and put all the fruit in the bin what's that I don't want to look at it okay I know that I don't people don't perceive a phobia fruit vegetables as a problem quite bizarrely they just think you're a fatty eater and you're a bit fussy I find that quite irritating I fight irritating to the point of like wanting to punch soil in the face to counter the effects of his high-fat high-sugar diet Chris splashes out on a personal trainer but despite all the hard work he can't shift the extra pounds and worries about his health I feel like I'm in control of every other aspect of my life good and bad but with this is way out of my control and I'd like it to change [Music] it's day one of Chris's month-long dietary makeover and he's been summoned to London's Leicester Square for his first meeting with the experts so feeling a little tense about this spray tense yeah yeah yeah yeah really it's alright we'll be we'll be gentle okay all right well to help you start on my journey we've got some of you want to show you right so if you want to come with us thank you mom before they begin their work Natalie and Stephen have a surprise for Chris which they hope will focus his mind [Music] dealing with these kind of issues can feel like a pretty lonely business but you're not on your own there are a lot of other people who are both affected by what's happening to you and you care about you and we want to show you some of their thoughts and comments to try and help keep you motivated okay my name is Claire Nazir I'm married to the lovely Chris Hawkins and it's been two and a half years of domestic bliss apart from this one little thing you know I bring in chocolate and donuts into the studio it's not just me being nice the other reason is the fact that you seem to get these massive energy drops and I just know that that little chocolate bar in the odd doughnut and really keeps your focus on the show and I just think it'd be great if I didn't have to do that because I'm meeting them with you and I'm getting fat too 15 years I've known you now and 15 years you've been completely committed to everything you've ever been involved with what I really hope now is that you can give the same commitment to this having suffered with a phobia myself I understand it quite well getting through the problem is quite a challenge but I'm sure you're capable of the challenge we just love you to be able to sit down for a family meal Christmas dinner it would be great we love you a lot of people would never go down this route facing it phobia is a really hard thing to do I know you're gonna go all the way and I'll be with you other way as well I love you [Applause] are you how you feeling at the moment watching that do you know what I actually find it even more embarrassing hearing what people have got to say on the subject you don't mention that he had a failure what phobia did here but that's phobia is of dead matches even if I said dead matches in his company and no they would make him sort of go all sort of in war and that's exactly how I feel I know that I know that the reaction is the same I'm surprised you can relate to that or indeed he can relate to what you're going through I was sitting here now feeling really really like this is definitely the right thing to be doing but at the same time a little unsure as to as to how how it can possibly change Chris should we just get out of here for now and what I'd like to do really is to have a look at what it is you are eating all right Natalie and Steven have an all-too-familiar surprise for Chris which they hope will shock him into action [Music] what have we here Chris my lunch and dinner in a quite overwhelming fashion it is as though you are still a student even though you're nearly 32 yeah we've actually worked out what you're eating in the year you're having equivalent of 400 pizzas 125 portions of chips and that's not even counting all the sugary junk that you're shoving in you as well this is all really scary and overwhelming because this is proper Reality Bites reality the thing is that it's not just the problem with what you are eating yeah it's what you're missing out on that's pretty fundamental if you were having that much equivalent in brown rice and broccoli you winced there yeah because even mention of some of the names of the things I don't like makes me cringe you'll notice I never actually mention anything by name refer to most things that I don't like his stuff we do have something we want to show you and I'm conscious that because of the way you feel this is gonna be not easy for you all right but that doesn't want to show you all right okay that's my worst nightmare all right you can look at me it's about to look at and pick and the smell is unpleasant though it sounds I could form it yeah I'd like to walk away right now all right now where do you want to get to at the end of that four weeks the ultimate would be to eat like a normal person and be able to sit down for a family meal and eat the same as everybody else so our challenge to you should be that at the end of this process you're going to be able to sit down with your family and eat a meal that contains some fruit and veg all right my stomach's thinking at the thought of it it's a serious serious phobia it's a complete aversion away he can't even bear to look at these things he can't bear even to say the words so Steven can work on that side of it but how I actually get him any closer to putting these foods in his mouth right now I'm not sure what I'm gonna be doing with him Chris now has just one month to overcome his freaky eating problem I think when a priest door opened and I was forced to look but all the pretty most of us it rammed home to me that this is not gonna be easy and that was the most significant reminder that actually this is gonna be one heck of a journey today is Chris's first one to one session with nutritionist Natalie and it seems her reputation has preceded her as Chris gets some last-minute jitters feeling pretty nervous now and I'm scared about meeting NASA leaks there's something quite intimidating about her I'm beginning to think that this was just a very very bad idea today I need to find out how far I can comfortably push him so that he'll succeed rather than be put off for good bye Chris come on in thank you I'd like you to just have a seat there don't really want to be here do you know you can't even bring your chair closer to the table what's going on very hot yeah I'm getting a hot I'm feeling the smell is becoming overwhelming to the point where I want to get up and walk away is that just coughing or is that you sort of starting to feel a bit sick I'm feeling a bit sick yeah why am I putting myself through this I don't put myself through something that I dislike you're killing yourself I guess the point that's making me feel guilty that's you're doing it yeah but you're making you're laying that on really thick you know I'm not laying it on extra thick let me get rid of all of these okay so in the vein of you saying you really do want to change things do you think you could pick one of those up I'll do what with it just hold in your hand all we're doing right now is holding a spear of asparagus so you having to psych yourself up it's exactly what I'm doing here [Music] so when have you ever held a vegetable before this is kids first why don't you put it back that's great as Chris makes no further progress in the 90 minute session notley's prepared a series of tasks he'll have to carry out at home what I've got is your healthy hamper and inside here is me jumping out at you every few days so to speak very very good thanks I don't understand why Chris is scared of me me I think actually he's scared of what I represent which is the person who's going to nudge him to try certain foods and he doesn't really want to do that something inside his cells is saying no don't go there [Music] back at home Chris wastes no time getting down to his homework this is scary basket room from scary Natalie it's my homework asparagus in there along with a spear of asparagus natalie has enclosed some written instructions I want you to hold this for five minutes today and 15 minutes the next day I want you to do the same with the fruit of your choice okay so to open the basket I'll do the asparagus thing but I know I'll do the fruit just I just only I'll do it if that means just lying to her for the sake of not having her tuck me off then I'd rather that well do the asparagus thing okay [Music] [Music] is that gonna hold it for five minutes I don't know how I'm better physically unless after the map [Music] at this point in time I feel stupid embarrassed and a bit sick he may have held the asparagus but it doesn't bode well that chris has washed his hands of Natalie's instructions to hold an orange as a four-year-old Chris had no problem with food he enjoyed a comfortable upbringing in shrewsbury with his parents and his two younger sisters when his eating problems began aged five the cause was a mystery to his father a high-flying company director who'd worked hard to provide every luxury for his family Chris's father has been discussed as a family matter on many occasions we cannot pinpoint any reason why Chris developed a phobia for eating vegetables or fruit when aged 11 he enrolled at a top boarding school chris has discussed a fresh food turn to actual fear Christie's mom and I did talk to Chris about his eating habits as he was growing up but unfortunately as Chris moved away from home we basically lost control of what fruit or vegetables he did eat Chris excelled in both sport and exams but by adulthood he was more phobic than ever and no one knew why [Music] today clinical psychologist Steven Breyers will probe Chris's memories in an attempt to get to the bottom of his food phobia all right Chris do you want to tell me how long this has been a problem for you what are your earliest memories of it I don't actually remember being any other way so it's always been very very difficult to know where it all stems from all right and what kind of child were you grew up in the country had good friends and a great home life and then my dad would work say 15 16 hours a day as a kid I barely saw him okay so it's a really your mother is the person who did most of the looking off yeah no I know that your dad has a specific phobia what about on your mum's side no my mum was a worrier she's a pretty anxious person but not phobic right what about you are you a warrior yes sure yeah I think I worry about most things day-to-day um I would say Beijing I'm paranoid I'll worry about being late get annoyed if a bus doesn't come when I need to get a bus but it's as if you're talking about things that have to do with the external world that sometimes feel beyond your immediate yeah I guess so yeah okay when you're faced with fruit and veg how does it make you feel I'm uncomfortable really really severely uncomfortable at times okay but you'd be amazed how little you end up in those situations if you know there's a way of avoiding that situation but in the time that you've become more skilled at avoiding these situations has your fear got worse or better I think it's got worse mmm the more control of my life I've had two more auntie I've become well timing is everything and I hope you know you're ready for this change I'm is positive as I could be right but you know I remain with all due respect to little skeptical sure Chris is obviously someone who grew up around some anxieties and what this means is the Chris Marvin heritage anxious tendencies from both parents and increased his need to feel in control restricting his diet is one way that chris meert made himself feel more powerful and therefore a bit less anxious reflecting on his session with Stephen brings that some uncomfortable home truths for Chris I realized even though I've never really opened up to anyone before you've got kind of a hold on me I didn't like that feeling I want to be in control of of how this situation progresses I want to be in charge of whether I eat your vegetables or not Chris is unwilling to cede control to the experts but his wife Claire is still doing her best to help as they tackle a plate of fruit together thing is sometimes the thing no I don't want no why would I want to refuse me what's that little man but can't think of very much I'd like to do that and I just take like a juice but just a bit more sonic it's just the the texture of it I could you pick one of those up and give it to me no you give me the plane oh you've got the plane thank you would you give it to me give it to my hand so just do it can you give it me that give me the plane I think the fruit is it's difficult I am really concerned that this is all gonna fail and I'm really loath to say that and I am now less than 100 percent convinced that I am actually going to be able to follow this through [Music] whilst Chris struggles on trying to break down his fear of fruit and vege natalie is keen to know what had died absent the vital vitamins and nutrients they supply has been doing to Chris's insides she summoned him to Harley Street for the results of his blood tests pre anxious there's no reason why there would be anything bad doctor pixie McKenna is a GP with a special interest in eating problems she's analyzed the results of Chris's blood tests and this morning he and luckily have come to hear her findings the worries yeah she says you've probably got about four hours being sensible about them now we did find when we tested your blood that your liver is actually overstretched now the job of your liver is to take in all the toxins in your body break them down keep the good stuff get rid of the bad stuff but obviously like every organ or every processing factory if you give it too much processed food too much alcohol too much caffeine it's got to overwork its overstretched so for example a how bad is it it's about 50% more than it should be yeah do you know anything about liver disease one I've got liver disease you haven't gotten liver disease but you've got a liver that's working very very hard at the moment dr. pixie has brought along some of Chris's favorite foods to illustrate the strain he's putting on his liver so what I'd like you to do is pour some of these onto our artificial liver here yeah - dr. Pixies model reacts to liquid in the same way a real liver reacts to Chris's high fat high toxin diet by gradually swelling it's a nice fatty curry I think you need about wines washed up there CoA is expanding oh yeah what thought yeah the liver is the largest internal organ in the body the cells that make up 60% of the liver tissue are called hepatic cells and carry out more chemical processes than any other group of cells over the long term Chris's cells could become saturated with toxins as they struggle to detoxify his blood if that happens the liver will swell then harden and eventually start to shrivel this potentially fatal condition is known as cirrhosis of the liver dr. Pixies results are a bitter pill for Chris to swallow if the liver expands and is capable of expanding why is it bad it's been given the potential to expand in response to normal stresses right but what you are doing is you're putting in stress is every single day of the week and your liver is gonna keep expand and expand and expand and then parts of it start to break down the other problems are that because it knocks out testosterone levels in your blood men get testicular atrophy which means their testicles become smaller their breasts become bigger but here this means that I've got I was really hoping that you were open then I was gonna say you're fine and that yeah you were hoping to walk out of here saying I ain't broke don't fix it that do I would say carry on as I am and you're gonna be the finger up that they were yeah Chris got a big fright with that liver test result but I'm still not convinced that he's actually going to do anything with that fear I think he's going to put his head back in the sand and use all the excuses in the world go back to being mr. charming good-looking medium man and lived the lifestyle that he's been living that's already got him into trouble because I'm not really convinced that he wants to change see the doctor so just part of this process you know and I want to get to like anxious about it because I'm capable of just chucking the talents saying forget it you know I'll deal with it on myself an anxious Claire called to find out Chris's results hi yeah I am my liver is working 50% harder than it should do it's not life-threatening in any way no this is the biggest reason so far with Natalie making progress Steven wants to find out more about Chris's dance phobia to see if it's had any impact on Chris's problem with food obviously Chris's dad has got an unusual phobia of his own but I don't think of itself that's sufficient to explain Chris's difficulties my theory about Chris is that his eating problem stemmed from a more general need to be in control of every area of his life and that includes his diet but before I go down this route I need to seek confirmation from one of the people who probably understands Chris's problem the best and that is his father like I'm aware that you have a phobia of your own do you want to tell me how that affects you and how you've dealt with that yeah it's a very odd phobia - its cigarette hands and dead matches and it's been all my life really certainly all the children would remember if we go in a rash on the children if they sorinage they would move it for dad okay that's interesting so the kids were aware that this was an issue for you yeah yeah and they and they tried to compensate for that yeah secretary for that yeah tell me a little bit about your memories of Chris's food problems what was the first you knew about him I suppose up until five or six Christopher at most things and then as he got a little bit older he was obvious he wasn't going to eat fruit or vegetables so the more choice he had and the more control he had the more he eradicated fruit and vege from his from his diet I mean generally speaking was he a very tidy boy was really nice really tidy that'll gain will be something for myself I like two things to be efficient Christopher's eggs exactly that way you don't want to be seen to be out of control do you it's pop possibly so possibly so again okay obviously when Chris was a child his dad Mike was demonstrating phobic behavior which I'm consciously Chris Murphy up on but I think what's much more relevant is what Mike said about both father and son sharing this obsession with tidiness an organisation what I need to teach Chris is that it can be okay to relinquish control and indeed that sometimes it might even be fun [Music] like money 80 minutes past 6:00 nephew just rising this morning I hope you're working out well it's week two of Chris's dietary makeover also want to know from you this money if you've ever confronted a fear or a phobia he might present the breakfast show but his caffeine intake wouldn't be Natalie's idea of a good start to the day I've had four Express it's not bad guys about half past 6:00 in the morning no wonder I'm gonna die young this morning Natalie plans to see what Chris's diet is really like at work and hopefully get something healthy into his body he has no idea she's coming to see him and also Silvana in Austria actually thank God hello good morning good morning Chris it's absolutely hi there I hear you're setting yourself up to die young and you've already had four espressos I've been a good show though as a result I'll be sad that I was just talking about how to get over this food phobia that I have and who should walk in but Natalie the nutritionist I got for you Chris cuz the espressos are making a shake she's like a witch this woman she is she forced me to do things that I don't want to do get on with your job then okay all right hey Chris play back for my daughter Jane [Music] you can key these in the fridge look for the rest of wheel you really brought all the walk brekkie on the go stay on come on try it you could try it and have the rest tomorrow god it tastes lashline taste up last before it's and it's your smoothie bag present I can't thank you enough thank you there's no need to be so sarcastic I will do it see you again soon I can't leave anyone out of it like to see less walk into my stoop yeah but I know that she's right that's the most frustrating and annoying thing about Natalie he's taken a significant step today but the key thing is to build on it and as he's managed to drink this blended fruit I think it gives us some idea of where we need to go next [Music] Chris's childish aversion to fruit and veg has been controlling his diet for twenty years clinical psychologist Steven wants to do more to encourage Chris's adult side to relinquish control what Chris is going to do today is he's literally gonna have to put his life in somebody else's hands I think his eating problems are very tied up with his need to be in control and also to avoid anxiety you know Chris believes that the best way to deal with anxiety is to stay clear of the things which make you anxious what he has to learn is that if he can expose himself to a level of anxiety tolerated get used to it actually the anxiety level will dip away [Applause] I'm trying to put out my mind what I can see in front of me losing the power of speech because this looks scary hello welcome to my world of high-altitude terror yeah I was all right come with me it's gonna be shot you've probably gathered the reason we're here is because I have a tendon paragliding flight lined up for you and basically I want you to get your head around the fact that these states may not be pleasant but neither are they gonna do you any harm all right Mountain I wouldn't be sending you up there unless I thought it was you know pretty safe okay but nobody nobody can ever be 110% sir there's always risk that's what makes it exciting all right tell me of me how high would you like to go sir I'm happy just to sort of skip up and down here but if you like 100 feet no I mean like literally just skimming across the top of the ground Chris good luck I will be on the end of this so you talk to me as well apologize for any bad language now it is going to get easier as you get used to it just ride out the anxiety how you feeling now I feel like if I was to move slightly forward I've fallen straight off beat off the whole front of everything try and relax as much as you can all right because you're gripping on for dear life that is going to keep the anxiety levels up there's another man here doing it on the thermal I think he's doing really well actually I mean he's obviously starting to relax and I think he's starting to maybe even enjoy it a little bit because somehow stop thinking about the height and if you're feeling good I'm starting to get a bit of a buzz from it Chris what your anxiety levels that now I actually enjoy this night yeah everything to learn [Laughter] really white it out but once I was comfortable you just fit that there's nothing you can do or well I mean all credit to because you were quite nervous about doing this but you didn't let it stop you you did it you tolerated that feeling of fear and the discomfort that went with that you survived it yeah and it looks to me like maybe you even enjoyed it I understand the comparison actually I'm now excited to get what he's saying like you can do something that you wouldn't normally do if only the eating of fruit vegetables was as easy as that the minute he starts to learn that what he thinks about situations isn't necessarily the truth about them then we've got a little loophole that we can work because that's exactly what he does in with his food you know he's there saying you know I know a hundred percent that you know this will make me sick that this is impossible you know today he's learnt that perhaps what he knows in that sense perhaps can't be relied on to the degree that he thinks having thrown himself off a cliff and learnt to love it can't Chris summing up similar courage to tackle Natalie's next task okay it's a good start nothing offensive so far inside this hamper you will find a selection of delicious fruits I would like you to place a piece of fruit in every room in your house that seems a little over the top okay so oh I hate it sweating okay [Music] not the first time I can remember ever touching an orange [Music] so living room what's it going to be I think lemon okay dining room and soft very soft okay nearly there and that is pretty much job done I'm not excited jumping with joy my biggest worry is that I'm they got fruit scattered all around my house it's two weeks into Chris's new food regime so Stephen and Natalie meet up to discuss his progress this is a really tough one with Chris because not only does he have phobias like I've never seen before but he's also breed Ichi he's always trying to talk himself out of doing the things that I'm asking him to do yeah I mean I know exactly what you mean but I do think he's starting to get his head around what an issue the controlling tendencies are and how that might be limiting his progress because I do think that in order for me to be able to make any progress with Chris I'm gonna have to start getting really tough with him all right well in the meantime I will try and teach him some techniques to calm himself down when he's around fruit and veg and you never know I might even try and get him to eat something [Music] determined to build on Stephan success Natalie heads to East Sussex her plan is to dangle a carrot in front of Chris with the promise of his favorite table when we first met Chris he could barely even utter the names of fruit and veg and we need to get him eating a whole range of the things so one of the stages of that could be actually touching them so I've got something in mind that I think will make his toes curl so we're here at the English wine centre this is so sneaky why is it sneaky I guess you know I love my wife I'm trying to get across to you that I'm not this evil witch so what we're just gonna spend a couple of hours drinking wine if only now we're gonna go over there look I know it's so sneaky I really really love what and you put this horrible downer on it surely any day with me it's got horrible down so let's just accept that come on let's go and shred some grapes oh man have you got some like Wellington sauce or something no fee you scared of touching them yeah don't attach them got an eyeball popping in my mouth am i helping I'll go first I don't know if I can do it honestly first contact so hard not to laugh at you one of the worst things I've ever had to do look you need to get yours like that you thought you were gonna throw up when you first saw that I still think it's very possible and now you're switching in it so already you've made a huge leap my mind is shifting definitely wheels it's having now they really are this you can now say the name great cuz that was weird oh it's disgusting you know the sound alone is vile and then you look down and that made me want to wanna vomit but I did it yeah this is a good bit I must say I was really shocked at quite how averse to doing it he was and then what we saw he got more familiar he got more comfortable he calmed down and it was okay and that's what Chris needs to do with fruit and veg on the general scale Cheers mr. squishing grapes in your toes nice [Music] Chris isn't the only one with homework this week Natalie wants his best friend Joe and co-host Becky to help show Chris how appalling his current diet is natalie has decided rather than me take up a challenge that you're going to be set the challenge you will be have a look what's in each of those oh great no fruit and veg to be eaten at all for three days oh god no you eat what I would normally eat all these have you in the place that's my typical day in my life breakfast lunch a snack and then dinner so that's your challenge good luck you might really enjoy it wife Clara gets roped into and the unfortunate trio soon discover the joys of fruit and veg free meal times have to say it's like eating mostly yellow food I mean this is the sort of stuff I remember eating at kids parties it's not a diet I would bring my own dog and on that's for sure [Music] how chris has got through however many years in broadcast journalism have no idea about Terry Wogan doesn't mean it I'm feeling quite jittery really bloated quite constipated I'm not enjoying this at all I'll be real pleased when these three days are over by day three Joe's fed up I think I am what are you truly coffee'd out for the day Clare is struggling across the finish line but Becky on the other hand is thriving I'll be us a little more than is probably healthy I have to say I'm hyper really hyper really a bit and have been hyper for three days and that's a fact people have noticed how hyper I am they've noticed that I'm talking quite quickly but this this I like chocolate has been great it has been the salvation of the entire three days and this is going to become a regular routine in my life Becki might be enjoying her new diet but with the final challenge looming chris is still struggling with his unable even to accept fruit or veg in his mouth Stephen needs a breakthrough you are making some good progress but I still think that essentially you feel you've got no real control over your reactions to certain foods yeah what I want to do today is try and give you an experience of being able to moderate your own reactions to food to make more things possible for you okay Chris come on in Stephen has an unpleasant surprise for Chris as he prepares him for a fruit and veg standoff all right okay so look into that lot what's your reaction it's it's not my purview you're tensing up again all right just keep breathing I want you to I want you to imagine somewhere where you feel comfortable and relaxed okay can you describe the scene to me somewhere to be a garden at my local farm yeah okay all right describe okay just close your eyes and imagine yourself there now I want you to hold onto that image and I just want you to say to yourself pineapple oh okay it's felled incompatible didn't it yeah okay that's the thing the word it just some trout okay that's fine all right so we do it we do it again all right so close your eyes put yourself in the Biergarten I just want you to put a pineapple into that scene it's sitting there in front of you but this time say the word pineapple and I want you to say it like it is the most beautiful word you've ever heard pineapple that's fun okay here is the pineapple in question after Chris goes on to manage a lifetime first by cutting a piece of fruit I can smell it can you yeah Stephen tries to tickle his taste buds alright what I do what are you doing I don't do this it's gonna be fine and this is gonna it's gonna be alright you're fixating too much on it okay it's fine okay good for you easy easy easy okay it's alright it's okay that's fine it's fine okay hey no no no listen doesn't matter really thought I could do that yeah can we give it one more go if you like yeah just one more time thing okay take yourself in that beer garden got it right when you ready what you see in your head that's it good easy slow it's fine relax you're fine you're fine yeah good start yeah so much let's get out of here I think in terms of exposing himself to his fears this is work really as well as I could possibly have hope today actually Chris really seems to have got the bit between his teeth I've really got more a more determines just to make big steps at least at the end of any day I need to have done something to move myself forward and today feels like I really feel really good for doing I really do I feel I feel good with increasing self belief Chris is no longer avoiding Natalie's task and is even relinquishing a bit of control by enlisting Becky to help okay okay inside the hamper you will find five different pieces of food I'd like to top this food to make a fruit salad an attempt to eat as much as you can Wow you may add ice cream to your liking that's okay there's ice cream that's a bit much you're funny great great all right what's next Oh banana smell it yeah okay genuinely yeah that it's the fruit salad I wish the banana wasn't in there any plan to wish you all of it wasn't in there but I'm gonna do is I'm gonna wrap it up a little askew and I'm gonna feed it to you I think the way that I'd like to do is have the ice cream sort of separate so that to the fruit so that I can see what I'm eating so that I don't get any nasty surprises don't control what you're experiencing mix mix the ice cream up with a fruit let go of the control of what you're about to experience yeah okay I'm gonna eat it like a doofus yeah I'm doing it again now talking about yes Julian nice swallow swallow good good should put some sort of towel over you I think the CK okay I never thought it would come to this come on I can see the hairs over there I was very hear this and you're doing it yeah actually doing it let me just leave it at that yes that was brilliant that was brilliant but a bit of fruit and a smoothie hardly constitute a proper meal and Chris's final challenge is only a week away with Stephen running out of ideas he's bought Chris to London's West End for one last shot in the dark come on in Chris okay we've come here to a restaurant but it's a restaurant with a difference this restaurant is called dining in the dark man man come along okay Roberto over here is our waiter is well used to working in the dark Roberto's blind yes which is why he is very well-equipped to work in this place can I trust you Roberto yeah cuz I can't trust anybody else around Stephen wants to force Chris to confront his food fears by desensitizing him he's gambling that for Chris what he can't see can't hurt him first courses of frittata an omelette made with spinach and potato ah I hear the sound of approaching footsteps here we are here catch okay so Roberto is put a starter in front of you I'd like you to sort of try a bit and see what you think okay first thing the nice gun down is something squidgy okay do you know your water glasses yeah I mean you have a sip of water all right and calm yourself down okay why don't you stick your fork in it and just just like what you think to yourself oh you know you described it you know you're I just don't like the feeling of being sick I don't like that feeling okay but you're assuming that you're going to be no more talking go for it come on it's fine good for you oh thank goodness for that okay what you have just eaten mr. Hawkins is a spinach frittata was it as bad as you'd built it up in your head to be no it wasn't right let's move on then to the next course the next course not only has a summer berry sauce which means there's fruit it also has a side of cabbage too my gosh okay Roberto yeah okay try a bit of that I'm not it's tricky isn't it okay very good if I'd have presented you with a bowl of savoy cabbage and said I wouldn't have eaten it what about the sauce that is sin that's so nice the saltiness Oh summer berry compote what's it really Wow okay cool this is yet another big step for me because I am beginning to think I could certainly you know pick pick a dish on the menu that I wouldn't normally app it and just enjoy everything that's on the plate well that's fantastic Chris I mean I think if you take nothing else away from this experience then I think you know this could be a real breakthrough thank you initially I really was absolutely petrified I stuck with it and I'm so glad I did and I'm I'm really proud of myself for normal people that was seeing ridiculous but for me it's really great in the end he did it but of course from my point of view in order for him to really move forward with this he has to get to the stage where he's able to do this for himself on his own you know without somebody holding his hand over the next week Chris battles along without the experts so what's your routine with this then I get myself built up into a write frenzy start shaking sweating making excuses everything new is a struggle oh no I know what it's gonna be no I don't like it when you bite into it it loses out pops but he slowly confronts new fruits faces up to veggies ah ah good work and even starts to enjoy himself I think if Natalie saw me doing this she's my kiss feel my cheeks [Applause] [Music] it's the morning of the big meal today Chris hopes to prepare and eat fruit and vegetables it'll be the first time his family have seen this in over 25 years are you doing it with me yeah but you've got to be the man in charge he's going to have to do all the peeling and the chopping and the putting in the pan and I don't want any complaining four weeks ago I wouldn't even touch sweet potato but now it just feels fine just feels normal it's a bit fiddly easier I'd have thought to buy it in a pack I think I need to work on my technique a little bit I'm nervous but excited I think I've done what I would consider to be almost a hard bit and that is handling all that all the vegetables cutting them all up all right I'm nervous I think the most about the melon because it's one fruit that I haven't actually tried yet I'm already starting to get a bit worked up about it if I'm gonna sit here yeah we spot those plates over it's like a smaller one I know with more Parma Chris please no please turkey only if you put in the Parma ham on the melon okay go and do that now that otherwise you've failed your chalak no problem otherwise you throw your challenge curse good boy yeah I just wanted to have the two separate just cuz you know it's just nicer that way let's rise to the challenge come on thank you all so this is gonna be easier than it is [Music] [Music] dr. mellon and said oh yeah I'll be fine with the roasted veggies we'll stop it fine with this theme vegetables but gosh I I mean I'm not fine really I don't think I think actually I'm a bit more anxious than I thought hey my life need some food darling I've never as you see my plate look like this yeah [Music] what is roasted sweet potatoes now they are really nice I am enjoying it I'm starving hungry which is help I'd like everyone to raise their glass and say Chris we're very proud of you thank you thank you all for helping you dude thank you Dad he did so well and I just I didn't want to cries it's what really a vet motional I just thought that like a book my goodness he's really worth through this he suffered with this phobia for probably 27 28 years but he's achieved it today and it's fantastic I'm really actually quite moved by it I just thought it was brilliant crying not fantastic really fantastic I'm just a bit blown away it just felt like a normal meal except with different food on my plate and I also enjoyed the the vegetables [Music] one month later and Natalie's back to find out how Chris is getting on this whole salad here letters cucumber tomato yeah more fruit yeah strawberries grapes purpose you can even touch them now who even said the word yes you're not running off to wash your hands no not not worried that's all I've got a bouquet for you about what I'd expect Krystal loves a meat feast but at least now fruit and veggies are on the menu too I'm really really proud of him I think he's come a heck of a long way we both love food he just didn't like a third of the food which was served up and now things are a lot more normal I can't believe how far I feel I've come in the last four weeks it's been worth every single minute it seems to me like a fairy tale ending [Music] click on-screen for more videos of extraordinary humans you

Channel: Only Human

Views: 99,137

Rating: 4.8024693 out of 5

Keywords: eataholics full episodes, Only Human, Only Human channel, only human documentary, freaky eaters, freaky eaters uk, freaky eaters full episodes, eataholics, eataholics uk, addicted to junk food, food addiction, weird food addictions, unhealthy food addictions, food addiction documentary, freaky eaters only human, binge eating, only human full documentary, food addiction only human, food addiction recovery, food addiction help, addicted to junk food how to stop

Id: tUilNxtMuAU

Length: 56min 16sec (3376 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 01 2019