[James]

12 March 2006
TRAGEDY OF BIG BRO BABES
EXCLUSIVE LESLEY SANDERSON SUICIDE BID I crushed 40 painkillers & was ready to die.. only my mum saved my life
By Steve Myall And Caroline Waterston

DESPERATE Big Brother star Lesley Sanderson tried to kill herself last week with an overdose of pills, The People can reveal.

The anguished 20-year-old was only saved when her mum snatched the painkillers from her seconds before she could swallow the lethal cocktail.

Lesley was rushed to a secure psychiatric ward - and put on a 24-hour suicide watch.

The dramatic suicide bid came after she was told a man she had accused of raping her would not face prosecution.

Last night sobbing Lesley revealed how her life spiralled into the pits of despair after she was booted out of Big Brother 6 last summer.

Lesley - who had arrived in the BB house wearing a skimpy nurse's uniform - said the rape case decision had been the final straw.

Wrapped in a blanket and cuddling her pet cat Bailey, she told The People: "I heard about the case collapsing, burst into tears and ran sobbing to my bedroom.

"I was thinking to myself, 'What's the point in living anymore?'

"I crushed packets of painkillers with the back of my hairbrush on a bedside table and planned to swallow them in a glass of water.

"My mum found me in time and tried to stop me. But I screamed, 'You can't watch me for ever.'

"The next thing I knew I was on a 24-hour suicide watch in hospital."

Lesley - who lives with her builder dad Paul and mum Heather, 39, in Skelmanthorpe, West Yorks - has suffered debilitating depression since being branded a bully for her antics on the reality TV show.

Things got even worse when she told cops she had been raped at a j hotel in September.

But last week she was told the Crown Prosecution Service had dropped the case.

Lesley said: "I was in shock. I just burst out crying.

"My mum tried to comfort me but I didn't want to know.

"I sat on my bed and tried to block everything out. I thought, 'My life is crap. No one believes me. I can't trust anybody anymore.'

"I went to the bathroom and got a couple of packets of painkillers -there were nearly 40 tablets.

"I had felt suicidal before but this was the first time I had planned to act on it.

"My mum walked in and shouted, 'What are you doing?' I was pushing her away.

"My dad cleared the pills away but I wanted to get out of the house so I could do something to myself.

"I was dragging my clothes on but my dad held my door shut.

"I was in a daze, rocking backwards and forwards on my bed. It was like I shut down."

Paul, 37, took Lesley to hospital, where she was put on a secure ward and given tranquillizers. Lesley stayed till Friday, refusing food and only drinking water.

Reliving the torment leading up to the suicide bid, Lesley revealed she had counselling immediately after the alleged rape - but was then left to deal with it alone.

She said: "When I went out I had my head down because everyone looked at me. I felt they were saying, 1 don't believe anything happened to her.'

"I was spending 15 hours a day in bed. I just couldn't face anybody.

"Before Big Brother I was full of self-confidence and took pride in my appearance. Now I rarely get out of my dressing gown."

And she launched a bitter attack on the Channel 4 show.

She said: "If I could pay £100,000 to go back to my life before Big Brother, I would. I regret going on it and my advice is don't do it."

Dad Paul agreed. He said: "That was where she started going downhill.

"I want people to know what my daughter is really like - not the caricature created for entertainment and to make millions for TV companies."

s.myall@people.co.uk

http://www.people.co.uk/news/news/tm...name_page.html

[BB-Rocks]

I do feel sorry for her, its a shame

[lily.]

*cough* publicity ***** *cough*

In my opinion, if she was as traumatised and depressed as she claims, she wouldn't be speaking the any magazine or newspaper. She is hungry for publicity - good or bad.

I also reckon that the charges got dropped against that guy because they were unfounded allegations. Again, more publicity seeking.

I do not feel sorry for her. If she was so desperate to get her old life back, she would shun publicity altogether, and get on with it in private.

[Fangz]

If she really has been lying about getting raped, I hope that one day she really does get raped.
That's not the sort of thing you lie about to get into the papers, it ruins lives.

[Chrizzle]

Poor Lesley, hope shes ok

[chick]

OH Dear What can you say

[Babydoll456]

awwww poor lesley

[cc100]

If I was in her position, Id want to keep this private, not blaze it across tabloid newspapers.

It makes you wonder if its true or not.

[lily.]

It's so obviously not. She has proven herself to be a vindictive vile liar. She wont change her spots now. And she wont get any sympathy from most of the general public. She doesn't deserve fame or popularity. She ought to just get on with her life, and stop all this attention seeking.

[James]

The experiences of Lesley and Mary (Sam also?) since Big Brother finished should serve as a cautionary tale for anyone wanting to go on the show this year.

This show definately has a misanthropic, people-hating aspect... there's always at least one public hate figure.

They probably should pick more worldly, less naive people.

[Fangz]

Yeah, but then who'd watch it?

[cc100]

Official site of 'Recording artist' Lesley:

http://www.lesley-sanderson.com/

[x-heather-x]

Poor Lesley. She was never my fave but I do feel really bad for her!!!!

[Siouxsie]

Think its just publicity and attention seeking

[x-heather-x]

I think it was a bad idea going to the papers coz people wont take it a sseriously thn. If she just stayed out the limelight she might've got on better.

[dogs]

Do you know hwere Lesley live. I know it is somewhere up north but whrere.

[x-heather-x]

i'm not sure where she lives but my friend's big sister's boyfriend kows her well. I'll ask and get back to you ASAP

[dogs]

Thank you if you want you can u2u me thanks.

[Siouxsie]

She lives in Hartlepool dogs

[Scotty]

huddersfield you mean

[Babydoll456]

yay dogs lesley lives in Skemthorpe which is in huddersfield

y did u wanna know any way dogs ???

[krissybabe06]

aw god thats awful! its amazing what big brother can do to people! thats horrible bless herx
I cant stand lesley though, she happens to be very immature and big mouthed and just comes across as charverish but after reading that i suppose i do feel a bit sorry for her. It must be horrible being shown to the nation and because everybody hates her no1 believes her
aww wel i stil wish her all the best.