70 Up star Neil Hughes is living alone in France after decades-long battles with his mental health.
The original 7 Up participant will open up about his life in the 70 Up final show, revealing that France is now his permanent home.
Neil, who has separated from his wife during a four-year marriage, lives almost entirely alone in a large property he inherited from his parents.
It has no central heating.
He relies on burning piles of cardboard in the fireplace to keep warm and admits he barely sees anyone.
Fans of the Up series will remember that Neil spent 20 years homeless, living in squats before moving into a council house on benefits.
Neil later revealed that he had suffered from depression since he was 16.
Now, in 70 Up, he recalls just how difficult life became. He admits that he even “slept in a bulldozer” during his darkest times.
70 Up’s Neil Hughes living alone in France.
Viewers first met Neil in 1964 when he was a cheerful seven-year-old living a middle class life in Liverpool. But as the cameras returned every seven years, his life took a very different path.
Neil moved between squats after leaving university in Aberdeen. At times, he appeared extremely agitated before revealing that he had a “nervous condition” which he confirmed was “depression”.
In 70 Up’s final episode on Tuesday, Neil will tell viewers: “I slept in a bulldozer once. I slept in bitterly cold huts and on seats and things. I squatted in London in two different addresses.”
He adds: “My background has given me a sense of being part of a very impersonal society.”
Up viewers last saw Neil in 63 Up, when he was working as a district councillor and lay Baptist preacher. The second episode of 70 Up reveals that France is now his permanent home.
Neil will appear in a quiet little bookshop. He explains how volunteering there has become part of his routine.
He says: “We’re in France where I now live. This is a lovely bookshop where I spend half a day a week volunteering, which I enjoy. It gives me a framework for the week.
“I am still married but separated from my wife. After years of living on my own, I realise I’d become much more selfish than I wanted to be.”
‘Lonely at times’
Neil admits he is “not ever good with others”. He will explain: “Even the friends who have remained, have remained friends because I don’t see them every day of the week.”
However, Neil insists he can “turn to” his friends when he is facing a crisis. He also says: “I’ve tried to avoid being caught up in situations where I know I’ll be at a disadvantage. Without trying to avoid the whole of life.
“I’ve come across people who’ve had similar problems and just become total recluses. In the end, it doesn’t help them.”
Neil is also keen to stress that people living with mental health conditions are not “odd”. He adds: “It doesn’t mean they have chosen to be weird or antisocial.”
Although Neil admits he is “lonely at times”, he says he is “as happy as I probably could be given my life.”
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