Joe Wicks said he suffered from trait anxiety as a child growing up with his heroin-addicted father and mother who suffered from severe OCD.
The 36-year-old fitness guru and chef will take the lid off of his troubled upbringing in his new documentary, Joe Wicks: Facing My Childhood.
Speaking on Monday This Morning to promote the movie, which aired on BBC One Monday night, Joe admitted that he couldn’t imagine having to care for the parents of their young child, Indigo, three and two-year-old Marley. as it’s supposed to be.
Childhood: Joe Wicks, who is tackling a new documentary about his upbringing, said he suffered from constant anxiety growing up with his heroin-addicted father and mother who suffered from severe OCD as a child.
Joe’s documentary traces his growing up experiences with parents struggling with OCD and addiction and examines the impact these experiences have on his life.
Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about his childhood, Joe said he thought the film would initially focus on others as an extension of his work to help families through online exercise classes during the pandemic.
‘There are things that were locked inside you as a child that you suppressed and didn’t want to deal with. It was very difficult for me to make this documentary. I had other families in mind, mental health in England: “How can we improve this?” but it has become something very personal ».
Dad: Speaking on This Morning to promote the movie, Joe admitted that he couldn’t imagine his three-year-old children, Indigo and two-year-old Marley, having to take care of their parents properly (pictured with Indigo).
“All these experiences I’ve had have shaped who I am today. It gave me the willingness and empathy to help others and even share this story. There’s a reason I’m doing this: I want to help others.’
Joe’s mother, Raquela, left him at age 12 in the care of his drug addict father, Gary, to get help for his OCD.
Joe praised his mother for being “brave” enough to get the help she needed in the form of five months of therapy, while her 38-year-old older brother Nikki tried to free her from the daily fears of living with her father. dependant.
Opening: Joe’s documentary traces his experiences growing up with parents struggling with OCD and addiction, and examines the impact these experiences have had on his life (Joe is pictured with his brother George and father Gary)
Personal: Speaking to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about his childhood, Joe said he initially thought the movie would focus on other families.
Joe remembers that his father was always ‘aware’ of his addiction and explains how it affected him as a child: ‘Heroin addiction is really devastating. I was always worried, scared and nervous. I did well at school. I was destructive, bad boy because no one could stop me and I was like, “What’s going on?” he didn’t say.
Regarding his mother’s battle with OCD, Joe said: “She washed the house three or four times a day, I vacuumed my bedroom twice a day. I had to show him the lines. These weren’t normal, but I was thinking, ‘All mothers do this’… It was an argument every day.
He continued: “I’ve been through a lot, nobody talked about it, nobody said ‘What’s going on?’ So your mom and dad didn’t want to talk about these things, and that’s what the documentary is about: when can we bring the kids into the conversation?’
Family: Joe’s mother, Raquela, left him in the care of his drug-addicted father, Gary, at age 12 to seek help for his OCD (pictured with his mother and brother Nikki)
Tough moment: ‘There are things that were locked inside you as a child that you suppressed and didn’t want to deal with. I found it very difficult to make this documentary,” said Joe This Morning
Holly said it in a heartbreaking way, Joe felt responsible for what had happened, and Joe said, “I think what I learned from that when I was a kid is my mom and dad, when you had something like this, I tried to take care of them.” “And my brother tried to take care of me.
‘You can actually retire or be a caregiver…I’m watching [my kids] and think, “I can’t imagine having to deal with these feelings.” It was very difficult, an exciting documentary.’
Joe also explained that while the documentary was exciting, it was a message of hope. “I have a great relationship with my dad today, we fixed that broken relationship and the same goes for my mom.”
In a clip from the upcoming documentary, Joe faints when he’s overwhelmed by the memories that fan posts bring to mind about his own upbringing.
Parents: Joe added: “I’m watching” [my kids] and thinking “I can’t imagine dealing with these feelings” (pictured with their kids and wife Rosie who is pregnant with their third child)
“Most of the messages I get from the pandemic are about mental health,” Joe tells the camera.
“The common themes are anxiety, depression, very common. Not one person a day, but hundreds of them.’
“I’m aware, my mom and dad have had ups and downs throughout their lives. My mom had severe OCD and my dad was going in and out of rehab, it was crazy.’
“I remember being a kid in this scenario and being very sad and confused and lost. It was really difficult. When I read these letters from parents with similar psychological problems, I can’t help but feel a connection.’
His voice broke, Joe continued: “It comes in waves, some days I really feel like I love him, other days I just want him to stop. I don’t want to be a Body Coach, I just want to be Joe”.
Emotional: In a newly released clip of the upcoming documentary, Joe sees him crumble as he is overwhelmed by the memories that fan messages bring to mind.
“All these feelings, they’re just there, that’s what I do, but it has to touch me more than I thought.”
Later, Joe is seen talking to his father and tells him, “I can only imagine how hard it was for you and the constant lies.”
“I remember you said you were going to the grocery store to buy some milk,” Joe said. It was like your “I’m going to steal something” code. You never came back with milk. I knew what that meant.
The show was produced by documentary director Louis Theroux, who previously claimed that Joe’s exercise program was one of the things that helped him cope during the lockout.
Joe Wicks: Face My Childhood will air on BBC One on 16 May at 9 PM.
Remember: his voice breaks, Joe says, “Some days I feel like I really love him, other days I just want him to stop. I don’t want to be a Body Coach, I just want to be Joe
Source: Daily Mail
Elizabeth Cabrera is an author and journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest news and trends, Elizabeth is dedicated to delivering informative and engaging articles that keep readers informed on the latest developments.
