Escape to the Country’s Alistair Appleton’s secret health struggle and how he ‘transformed’ life

Alistair Appleton is a beloved face on Escape to the Country, however, the presenter has previously endured a secret health battle.

The star and qualified psychotherapist previously shared that in 2012 he went through a period of anxiety following a difficult part of his life, which saw him break up with a partner. At the time, Alistair was also attempting to renovate a house, was working long hours and had just completed a long therapy course.

In a previous interview, the 54-year-old shared: “At the time I didn’t know it was anxiety, but I couldn’t sleep, felt constantly tired, and worried about everything.”

He added that he has since worked on ways to “transform” and deal with the condition over the past 10 years, adding: “In the last 10 years, I’ve worked hard to understand and transform my anxiety. And that’s one of the things I help other people to overcome too.”

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Alistair has previously been open about his mental health, admitting that he initially had “imposter syndrome” when he started his broadcasting career.

Speaking to Fantastic Man in 2007, he confessed: “For a long time, I felt like a complete fraud presenting all these shows and not even being a homeowner.”

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On his website, Mind Springs, Alistair also wrote: “I was pretty unhappy. I was drinking a lot, doing a lot of drugs, going out a lot. And so I think the better part of me just sensed that was not a path I wanted to pursue through my 30s so I gave it all up. I have quite a strong will really.”

Alistair eventually turned to Buddhism and took up Ashtanga yoga. Although he considered becoming a monk during a trip to Thailand, he was talked out of the idea by a close friend.

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In an interview with Hampshire Live about becoming a psychotherapist, he said: “I loved that work so much that I started to get a bit disenchanted with all the crazy schedules of TV filming and I decided five years ago to re-train as a psychotherapist. That was the best decision of my life and I think I’ve hit my 40s in much better shape than I hit my 30s.”