Melanie Sykes rose to fame in the 1990s as the face of Boddingtons beer and became a regular presence on TV, hosting shows such as Today with Des and Mel, The Big Breakfast, and The Great Pottery Throw Down. However, in her new autobiography, she reveals that she has quit mainstream TV after being diagnosed as autistic at the age of 51 and enduring a breakdown. Sykes offers a fresh perspective on her experiences with sexism, racism, and abusive relationships, shedding light on the toxic culture that pervades the fashion and showbusiness industries. Her book, Illuminated: Autism & All The Things I’ve Left Unsaid, charts her journey and describes incidents of harassment and exploitation in the TV industry. Sykes hopes to bring attention to autism and issues affecting vulnerable women, such as coercive control, and use her profile to help protect them. Writing her story has helped her “heal,” she says, and she hopes it can help other women recognize if they are in abusive relationships. The book is set to be published by HarperNorth on April 27th.
