Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal has revealed the disturbing details of the early manic episode that led to him being admitted to hospital and eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
In a revealing interview, the father of three described a series of “extreme highs,” hallucinations and suicidal thoughts, all of which were made worse by sleeping just one or two hours each night.
The worsening illness – which caused Blumenthal to hallucinate that “there was a gun on the table” – led doctors to admit him to a psychiatric hospital in November last year, where he remained for 20 days.
The 58-year-old said his episode fueled a desire to “save the world” and want to “love every single person.”
He continued: “He was throwing up ideas… He was so excited. He was talking about doing things. It was a real mania.”
The celebrity chef is best known for owning the Fat Duck in Bray, Berkshire, which has been awarded three Michelin stars and has previously been included in the list of the world’s 50 best restaurants.
The 58-year-old, who was also diagnosed with ADHD in 2016, recalled experiencing mental and physical changes during his breakdown last October, triggered by a desire to “save the world.”
The famous chef was eventually diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is characterized by at least one manic episode.
Bipolar disorder type 2 involves more regular episodes of depression.
Approximately one in 100 people will be diagnosed with bipolar disorder at some point in their lives.
Many people with this mental health disorder swing from one extreme mood to another. They experience episodes of depression, feeling very low and lethargic, and also suffer from mania, feeling “high” and hyperactive.
However, unlike healthy mood swings, the NHS explains that the extremes of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks.
Blumenthal told the Financial time He believes he has had bipolar disorder for “a long time.”
He says the insomnia he suffered early in his career, when he would email colleagues before dawn, may have been an early warning sign.
Reflecting on the mood swings she developed last year, she described how she went from wanting to “love every single person” to getting angry if someone moved even a sticky note.
“…and then bang! I would get really angry at the world and I wouldn’t beat around the bush,” he said, comparing his mood swings to those of a child.
These feelings began to intensify and he became an “emotional danger to himself” due to suicidal thoughts.
Doctors said the sleepless nights and state of excitement were causing potentially lethal stress in his body.
Blumenthal’s wife, businesswoman Melanie Ceysson, described his moods as a “tornado.”
Recalling the moment she was forced to admit him to hospital, Ceysson said: “That’s when I pressed the red button,” adding that the aftermath was “the most horrible hours” of her life.
Heaton explained: ‘Melanie made the difficult decision to hospitalise me, which meant sedating me.’
The celebrity chef, 58, described the terrifying experience during an appearance on The One Show on Tuesday night, alongside Melanie
The Michelin-starred chef’s 36-year-old wife described her husband’s moods as a “tornado” and worried he was a danger to himself.
Blumenthal, who went into detail about the “horrible” experience on The One Show in July, said: “These recurring ups and downs just kept getting stronger and more regular.
“I had been in a state of immense euphoria for several days. I had hallucinations, feelings of paranoia and even suicidal thoughts.”
He explained: ‘Melanie made the difficult decision to admit me, which involved sedating me.
‘There was a knock on the door, there was a policeman, then five firefighters and then a doctor with an assistant and I thought, ‘What the hell is going on here? ‘ And then I saw the doctor pulling out a big syringe and then I woke up in the hospital.’
The TV chef added: ‘Since my diagnosis I have learned a lot more about myself and realised that a lot of my creativity is due to bipolar disorder.
“I hope that talking about it can change the way we view the disease and put it in the spotlight for all the right reasons.”
Although he does not want to experience mania again, he admits he does not regret the contribution that milder episodes may have had on his earlier career.
He now prioritises sleep and says the medication has stabilised his mood, meaning he can now develop his ideas.