‘I haven’t spoken to my mum since I started playing!’ Meet the Brits addicted to Pokemon Go

THESE people are obsessed.

They are addicted to finding the augmented reality characters that have invaded Britain’s streets and hitting them with little red balls.

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For the past week at least, they have been unable to put down their phones.

While the success of Pokemon Go helped creator Nintendo more than double in value to £32.4billion yesterday, some Brit fans admit it has taken over their lives, with excessive playing causing weight gain and ruining relationships.

Here, JENNY FRANCIS and LYNSEY CLARKE meet the Pokemaniacs.

Emma, 23

Caught 400 

Collected 48 types 

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INFATUATED Emma Shaw has abandoned cooking to give herself more time on the game and has piled on 3lb from eating junk food and sweets to keep herself going. 

The taste quality controller from Halifax, West Yorkshire, expects to spend hundreds of pounds hunting characters. She says:

I’m obsessed.

I’ve been out all weekend playing it and have a serious problem of not being able to put the game down.

I used to play Pokemon as a kid.

I liked it then but it’s more ‘real world’ now and I love it.

I take naps so I can stay up late catching night-time Pokemon

Emma Shaw

I normally have a healthy diet but now I’m grabbing unhealthy junk food wherever I can when I’m out playing, and snacking on sugary sweets to keep my energy levels up.

I’ve also lost a lot of sleep.

I woke up in the middle of the night once and decided to turn on an ‘incense’ item that makes Pokemon to come to you.

It kept me up the rest of the night, which would be fine if I didn’t have to function at work the next day.

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I’ve had to take several naps in the day so that I can stay up later catching night-time Pokemon.

There’s also the cost – I’ve spent £60 on fuel and parking costs driving around trying to find them.

If this carries on I’ll have spent over £300 in just a month.

I’m worried I won’t have any money left.

I’ve fallen out with a few friends for not turning up to meet them, too.

I’m also falling out with Pokemon friends who steal the Pokemon from me when we’re out.

It’s a non-stop 24-hour game."

Joanne, 25

Caught 450

Collected 68 types 

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UNSOCIABLE Joanne Rowe, an office worker and musician from Surbiton, South West London, has already fallen out with friends because of her obsession.

The long-time Pokemon fan, who first fell in love with them as a child in the Nineties, explains:

"I’m up very late playing every night so I’m constantly tired.

I get home from work, change into some comfortable clothes and head straight out on the hunt.

I haven't spoken to my mum since I started to play the game

Joanne Rowe

Because the game is my priority I’ve missed meals out with friends and ignored their calls.

It’s caused me to fall out with friends who just don’t get it.

They get so cross and frustrated at me for putting a game before them, but I can’t help it.

One said to call her when I’ve put my phone down, so I guess I won’t be seeing her for a while.

The sad thing is that I just don’t care – I can’t change.

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I get texts asking if I’m OK, and I just blank them because I have to get back to my game.

I haven’t spoken to my mum since I started playing either and I normally call her every day.

I set my alarm clock early in the morning to check in and leave home 20 minutes earlier and take diversions on the way to work to catch Jigglypuff – which keeps making me late.

At work I have it constantly plugged in because I’m petrified my phone will run out of power.

I can see some frowns of disapproval but at the moment the game is everything.

Ryan, 32

Caught 360 

Collected 50 types

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BEING hooked on the game is causing Ryan Gavan all sorts of problems. It is threatening his relationship with fiancée Nicola, after his playing caused him to miss a meeting about their wedding.

The marketing assistant, from Edinburgh, says:

I honestly had no idea what it was about and thought it was for nerds, but got sucked in and now I am addicted.

I play it over breakfast, on the train to work, in the toilets at work, all lunchtime – any minute not playing feels like time wasted.

I was in the doghouse but ended up playing until the early hours

Ryan Gavan

I play until midnight most nights, which has caused massive arguments with my fiancée, Nicola.

She’s always asking me to come to bed, I say to give me just five more minutes.

Before I know it I’ve lost a couple more hours to my addiction.

I go to bed and she’s fast asleep.

We had a big falling out this week when we were supposed to be meeting our wedding photographer.

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I was playing Pokemon in the park and got a call from her an hour after we were supposed to meet up, asking me where the hell I was.

Needless to say I was in the doghouse that night but again I ended up playing Pokemon until the early hours.

But it’s not just playing the game that takes up time.

I go on web forums and Twitter to find out where certain Pokemon are, so I can go and catch them.

It’s genuinely quite frightening how it can take over your life.

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Jade, 20

Caught 82

Collected 52 types

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UNEMPLOYED Jade Eddie stays up all night catching Pokemon and has cancelled social events to play the game.

Jade, from Scotton, North Yorks, says:

I got Pokemon Go about two weeks ago – a few days before it was released here, as I put down a New Zealand address.

I play it as soon as I wake up until I go to bed.

I have so much time to play as I am currently unemployed – but I am looking for jobs.

I got invited out but said I couldn't go, so I could search for Pokemon

Jade Eddie

Sometimes I end up going to bed at dawn and have passed on loads of social gatherings with friends just so I could play.

I have trouble sleeping anyway but with Pokemon time flies by and suddenly it will be four in the morning.

My boyfriend, Ben, is a plumber and gets up at 6am.

He goes to bed about 11pm or midnight but will lie in bed and play it before he goes to sleep.

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Certain kinds of Pokemon only come out at certain times of the day.

Ghost ones only come out at night and water ones only come out near rivers, which is why I’ve ended up playing it out and about until midnight.

The other day Ben and I went to Richmond town at 10.15pm to a Poke Stop.

We didn’t come home until 12.30am.

I’ve cancelled meeting up with old friends.

Someone invited me for a coffee but I told them I was busy.

I played Pokemon instead.

And at a party the other weekend, some of us were even playing on our phones instead of drinking.

My whole family is hooked – even my mum."

James, 29

Caught 248 

Collected 50 types 

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SALES manager James Burns looks at the game 60 times a day and is also smoking more in order to nip out on ciggie breaks to check for critters. 

The addict, who lives in Hainault, North East London, has got fiancée Lynsey Stoner, a 30-year-old PA, hooked on the game too. He says:

I can’t stop playing it.

I keep it logged on and running in the background on my phone all day, and keep my phone on charge.

I must log on at least 60 times a day or I feel anxious.

I have to log on at least 60 times a day or I feel anxious

James Burns

My boss knows I have the game and he’s seen me on it a few times so I probably need to rein it in a bit at work before I get into trouble.

I’ve also started smoking more as a result.

I normally only smoke when I’m drinking but since downloading the game I go for a cigarette break with a guy at work who smokes every hour or so, so that I can play the game.

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I’m smoking around five a day now to keep me calm too.

My fiancée and I had a massive row yesterday because I wouldn’t get some balls at a Poke Stop for her while she was driving.

I was meant to go out with my mates on Sunday but I took Lynsey out with me to catch Pokemon.

We took two battery packs with us and ended up walking five miles and I ignored all my mates’ calls and messages.

It is distracting me from everything else in life so I do need to try and calm it down.

The problem is, I don’t want to.

Stars have a go

CELEBRITIES are just as obsessed. Pokemon Go has made its way to Hollywood, on to the GMB sofa and Labour HQ.

— LILY ALLEN spends her days in LA trying to catch her favourites in the Hollywood Hills.

— PIERS MORGAN played it on Good Morning Britain, and was told off by Susanna Reid.

— JOE JONAS is hooked, tweeting: “Rumour has it Mew2 is at Area 51. Road trip anyone?”

— JEREMY CORBYN put Labour duties aside to play the app with the BBC’s Adam Fleming.

— JUSTIN BIEBER interrupted his world tour to hunt for a Gyarados on the loose in NYC.

— DEMI LOVATO was outed as a fan by fellow singer Jonas, who tweeted her: “#thisisoutofhand.”