Heston Blumenthal reveals he 'thought about different ways of ending his life'
Heston Blumenthal has revealed he 'had thought about different ways of ending [his life]' before eventually receiving treatment for bipolar disorder.
The London-born celebrity chef, 59, who holds a total of seven Michelin stars across his restaurants, was diagnosed with type 1 bipolar after being sectioned - on the insistence of his wife, French entrepreneur Melanie Ceysson - in November 2023.
Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder which causes unusual and often sudden changes in mood and energy levels.
He spent two weeks heavily medicated in a psychiatric hospital and a further six weeks in a clinic, where he continued with intensive treatment and practised walking meditation.
Yet, four years previously, he had already hit rock bottom and was contemplating the method he would use to take his own life.
Looking back to filming the cookery show Crazy Delicious in 2019, Heston told The Times: 'I remember lying on the sofa the night before I was due to go to do the show - I didn't want to do it, because of the condition I was in - and I had thought about different ways of finishing [my life].
'I went through a list: knife? No, can't do that. Gun? Don't have one. Rope? I don't think I could do that; wouldn't know how. It would probably slip off or whatever.
'And there was no train station anywhere near to jump in front of a train.'
The father-of-three, whose first eatery, The Fat Duck, was named the best restaurant in the world in 2005, added that he didn't perceive that he was in a depressive state - even when he 'was talking about suicide or death'.
He told the publication: 'I must have been in a mixed state [a period of rapid highs and lows], because I was excited about planning my funeral, planning my wake. What music I wanted, who I wanted there - I got quite excited about that.'
The chef spoke to The Times ahead of the release of a new BBC documentary titled Heston: My Life with Bipolar, which will air on June 19.
In the interview, Heston, who lives in Provence in southeastern France with his second wife Melanie, addressed his past, present and future.
Reflecting on the diagnosis he received in November 2023 after being sectioned by police officers and a doctor who turned up at his home, he said: 'I don't have bipolar; I am bipolar.
'It was always there, and for whatever reason - possibly Covid isolation; I was on my own a lot - it escalated.'
Had he not been sectioned at the insistence of Melanie, 38, at this time, the chef would have lived for only a few more days.
In the years prior to his hospitalisation, Heston, who was diagnosed with ADHD in 2017, experienced depressive states and hypomania, a less serious version of mania which can nevertheless drive risk-taking and impulsivity.
During this time, he was sleeping as little as 20 hours a week - and was using cocaine, unusually, to help him get to sleep.
By contrast, he would work a 120-hour week, fuelled by flashes of creativity brought on by the hypomania.
Today, Heston remains on medication and told how his depression is still a problem for him, though he blames external factors such as a family court case and the financial losses that his restaurants have been subject to.
Next week's documentary will look into the state of healthcare for those with bipolar in the UK, with Heston talking to others who also have the condition about their experiences.
In May, when the project was announced, he said: 'I was living with undiagnosed bipolar for many years, so it's been an extraordinary journey to get where I am today.
'There is still a big stigma around bipolar, but it is vital to be able to talk openly about the condition.
'I know this isn't always easy, but I hope by sharing my experience in this documentary people will gain a greater understanding of bipolar and an insight into my life now.'
Heston, who has an impressive seven Michelin stars, became an ambassador for Bipolar UK in February.
The charity describes the mental health condition as an episodic disorder characterised by potentially extreme changes in energy and mood.
It carries the highest suicide risk of any mental health condition.
Bipolar UK estimates more than one million adults in Britain have the disorder - which is 30 per cent more than the number of people with dementia.
But it is thought some 56 per cent of those living with bipolar in the UK do not have a diagnosis.
Mike Radford, executive producer of the upcoming documentary, said: 'This is the first time Heston has given his account of what happened for a documentary.
'We're grateful to Heston for giving such a raw and unfiltered view of his life with this condition, which we know impacts the lives of so many people.'
The film, recorded over the course of six months, will see Heston and his loved ones about how his undiagnosed bipolar disorder affected them.
He will also speak about how he has since managed undergoing long-term treatment for it - which he has previously said has impacted his energy and creativity.
The chef, known for experimental creations like snail porridge and bacon and egg ice cream, told Newsnight in February medication initially left him 'zombified', with 'no energy at all'.
He said: 'As my medications have been changed and my levels of self-confidence and self-awareness have gone up I realise my imagination and creativity is still there.
'It was at levels that were so extreme before... looking back I can remember during my manic highs I was interrupting myself with ideas.'
The documentary will track his journey towards recovery and returning to work, to run his Michelin-starred restaurants The Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, and Dinner, in London, and pub The Hind's Head, also in Bray.
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