Bizarrely even the sight of scotch eggs could send Wrexham painter and decorator Gareth Jones running from a room in a cold sweat, but that was before he decided to face his fear in front of millions on national TV.
Now he has juggled with the dreaded savouries on camera and has even eaten one, so it looks like he has confronted his tasty demon and tamed it forever.Viewers of The Trisha Goddard Show on Channel Five this Friday will see and hear how the strange fear was born out of a nightmare when Gareth was six and just grew."I dreamt about the story of James and The Giant Peach, but in my mind it was a giant scotch egg,." said Gareth. "As I got older the phobia got worse so much so I couldn't bear the sight, the smell and definitely not the taste of scotch eggs."It's not the sort of problem a teenage boy shares with his mates so few knew of Gareth's savoury secret until his girlfriend Laura Williams decided to lift the veil on his fears and let the whole nation see her fella's dilemma.She had discovered the full force of his phobia when at a friend's 18th birthday party he completely freaked out when she playfully chased him with a scotch egg on a fork."I didn't understand just how real his fear really was until that moment, "she said. "Gareth got really agitated. I mean genuinely upset."He ran away shouting."Laura, a former pupil at St David's and then Rhosnesni High School in Wrexham, sought help when it became clear that Gareth was deliberately avoiding dropping in on her at the Londis supermarket in Acton where she worked as a supervisor.Unbelievably he was staying away because the shop sold scotch eggs.Then the situation got worse when Gareth, who was unemployed at the time, heard that there were jobs going at the local Asda superstore.Laura wanted him to apply, but he refused because he knew the deli counter sold scotch eggs and he might have to see them every day."I just couldn't do it," said Gareth.Finally the problem came to crisis point when the couple, who had met six month earlier in Wrexham's Central Station nightclub, started talking about marriage.Gareth was adamant that there should be no scotch eggs on any buffet arranged for the big day.If they were there he wouldn't be.That was that for Laura. She'd had enough so she called The Trisha Goddard Show to see if anyone could help.Within a few weeks they had been invited to the studio and there was no turning back."We were split up as soon as we arrived and I didn't see Gareth all day, " said Laura. "Then it was show time and I was asked to sit in a chair in front of Trisha and the audience with a dish of scotch eggs on my knee. I had to tell everyone all about Gareth's weird phobia."Then what does he do but walks straight over and started juggling with the scotch eggs. I could hardly believe it."Gareth
had been virtually been put into a trance back stage by one of Trisha's counsellors and it had cured him of his irrational fear.Scotch eggs are still not on his favourite food list, but at least since the show he can stomach the sight of them.Scotch eggs no longer give him the horrors so the irrational fear that blighted his romance is gone.Now the phobia has been dealt with Gareth and Laura are concentrating on their wedding plans.They're getting married in two years time and since Trisha there is nothing that is going to scotch their plans.
Now he has juggled with the dreaded savouries on camera and has even eaten one, so it looks like he has confronted his tasty demon and tamed it forever.Viewers of The Trisha Goddard Show on Channel Five this Friday will see and hear how the strange fear was born out of a nightmare when Gareth was six and just grew."I dreamt about the story of James and The Giant Peach, but in my mind it was a giant scotch egg,." said Gareth. "As I got older the phobia got worse so much so I couldn't bear the sight, the smell and definitely not the taste of scotch eggs."It's not the sort of problem a teenage boy shares with his mates so few knew of Gareth's savoury secret until his girlfriend Laura Williams decided to lift the veil on his fears and let the whole nation see her fella's dilemma.She had discovered the full force of his phobia when at a friend's 18th birthday party he completely freaked out when she playfully chased him with a scotch egg on a fork."I didn't understand just how real his fear really was until that moment, "she said. "Gareth got really agitated. I mean genuinely upset."He ran away shouting."Laura, a former pupil at St David's and then Rhosnesni High School in Wrexham, sought help when it became clear that Gareth was deliberately avoiding dropping in on her at the Londis supermarket in Acton where she worked as a supervisor.Unbelievably he was staying away because the shop sold scotch eggs.Then the situation got worse when Gareth, who was unemployed at the time, heard that there were jobs going at the local Asda superstore.Laura wanted him to apply, but he refused because he knew the deli counter sold scotch eggs and he might have to see them every day."I just couldn't do it," said Gareth.Finally the problem came to crisis point when the couple, who had met six month earlier in Wrexham's Central Station nightclub, started talking about marriage.Gareth was adamant that there should be no scotch eggs on any buffet arranged for the big day.If they were there he wouldn't be.That was that for Laura. She'd had enough so she called The Trisha Goddard Show to see if anyone could help.Within a few weeks they had been invited to the studio and there was no turning back."We were split up as soon as we arrived and I didn't see Gareth all day, " said Laura. "Then it was show time and I was asked to sit in a chair in front of Trisha and the audience with a dish of scotch eggs on my knee. I had to tell everyone all about Gareth's weird phobia."Then what does he do but walks straight over and started juggling with the scotch eggs. I could hardly believe it."Gareth
had been virtually been put into a trance back stage by one of Trisha's counsellors and it had cured him of his irrational fear.Scotch eggs are still not on his favourite food list, but at least since the show he can stomach the sight of them.Scotch eggs no longer give him the horrors so the irrational fear that blighted his romance is gone.Now the phobia has been dealt with Gareth and Laura are concentrating on their wedding plans.They're getting married in two years time and since Trisha there is nothing that is going to scotch their plans.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
if food can ruin your relationship than maybe it wasnt set in bedrock to start. scotch eggs give me horrors too but it didnt break up my marriage. the generosity of women never ceases to amaze me........
2 comments:
What a knob!!!
Phobia is about your subconscious mind, so you should do something with that.
Post a Comment