The Chase’s Governess Anne Hegerty looks unrecognisable on Loose Women as she reveals her high-functioning autism left her in crippling debt… while viewers slam show for cutting her segment short
THE Chase's Anne Hegerty - aka The Governess - looked unrecognisable on Loose Women today as she appeared on the show with a glamorous makeover to speak about her struggles with autism.
The 59-year-old trivia genius and former journalist revealed she realised that she had autism while watching a TV about children with the condition in 2003, and was eventually diagnosed by a doctor who specialised in people with special needs.
However, the diagnosis did little to make organisation problems she suffers from go away and by 2008 she was struggling with extreme debt after not being able to organise work and pay bills - resulting in bailiffs turning up at her door.
Anne explained: “Over the next few years I realised the whole problem with juggling things hadn’t got any better just because I knew what it was, I was still struggling, I was having difficulty getting jobs done on time.
“I’ve been a terrible nuisance to a lot of people.
“On New Year’s Day 2008 I had two bailiffs turn up on my doorstep and because I had so little income I had not been paying bills, and I respect the concept of paying bills I’m very much in favour of it, I just couldn’t quite get it together.”
Hitting rock bottom then led Anne to meet a social worker who not only helped get her finances in order, but also secured her audition for The Chase.
She continued: “A terribly helpful social worker named Jeff Mackenzie came and said to me, ‘Don’t worry about a thing, I will open the mail, we will get the bills paid, I will get you filling in the forms so you can actually be on benefits.’
“He also sent me to someone who helped me fill in films to get disability living allowance which I still get.”
But suddenly, while mid-story, Anne was interrupted and cut off by Kaye Adams who was signalling the end of the show.
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Completing Anne’s sentence she said: “Well we need to be thankful to Jeff too, because he’s the man who led you to be the Governess and be so fantastic,” as Coleen Nolan concluded things.
And viewers were furious believing too much time had been spent on previous guest Jake Quickenden’s hair transplant and not Anne’s inspirational story.
One ranted: “#LooseWomen if they spent less time perving on Jake, Anne might have got to finish talking (why do I watch this it makes me angry haha).”
Another said: “Too much time on vapid turds, not enough on the magnificent Anne Hegerty. #loosewomen.”
And a third added: “Great to see The Governess Anne Hegarty (sic) on the show. Shame she had to rush what she was saying though. Should have had more time #LooseWomen.”
During her slot Anne also revealed that she originally called The Headmistress, but she changed her name to The Governess as she thought it was “kinkier”.
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