Charlie Webster "felt suicidal" over domestic abuse she suffered as a child.
The ‘Sky Sports’ broadcaster has opened up about the violence both she and her mother suffered at the hands of her stepfather, and she admitted she "fought so hard to live".
Speaking to The Sun newspaper, she said: "The control and abuse was so bad I felt suicidal as a kid and as an adult.
"Coming out of hospital, I had a lot of flashbacks of what happened to me. Trauma ignites trauma and there were times when I fought so hard to live.
"Every day was about survival. It’s only now I have started to deal with it. I wouldn’t have been able to talk to you five years ago, as this person still had so much control over me."
The 37-year-old star – who was just seven when her stepfather first targeted her with vile taunts which escalated into violence – revealed she was left bruised from beatings and called "stupid, thick and ugly".
She recalled: "One time he beat me to the floor because he was drunk. A stranger had to drag him off me because he wouldn’t get off.
"When my mum was at work, he would punch me and give me a dead arm and a Chinese burn, while saying I was a cry-baby and weak."
Charlie revealed her mum tried to leave him several times during their 27-year marriage, and she admitted what they went through has impacted her own adult relationships.
She explained: "To survive back then I created behaviours. I became detached as a kid and turned myself into a zombie — to not feel emotion, because if I did, I’d be a mess.
"How would I have got through life? I have suffered depression since I was a kid, which was diagnosed when I was 16. I’ve experienced mental health problems ever since."
Charlie Webster felt suicidal over vile childhood domestic abuse
