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Privacy NoticeBroadcaster Clara Amfo has bravely shared her harrowing experiences of childhood sexual abuse on the latest episode of the Changes with Annie MacManus podcast. The BBC Radio 1 presenter, 40, recalls being “groomed” by a trusted family friend from as young as five years old – and describes how the ordeal “changed me forever”. Opening up in a revealing discussion with podcast host Annie MacManus, Clara, who competed on Strictly in 2020, she reflected on the moment the abuse ceased when her brother intervened after witnessing an incident. Clara said: “I’m a survivor, I’m a victim – however you want to look at it – of childhood sexual abuse. I was sexually abused by a friend of our family. And it went on for quite a while between the ages of like, I think I was five, coming up to six years old.”
The radio DJ says it was her brother who intervened when he witnessed an ‘incident’
(Image: Getty Images)
She continued candidly about the impact it had on her life, adding: “But it was life changing. Anyone who has been through any kind of abuse in their life, particularly sexual abuse, it changes the way you view the world. Because from five years old, I knew that the world wasn’t a safe place. Issues of trust, self-worth, you know, just ruptured, really. And the innocence just dies in you. You can never get it back.” Clara, who earlier this year revealed her painful battle with fibroids, shared that she “mourns” for her younger self and admitted that it took her years to understand what had happened to her, reports the Mirror. “Essentially, I was groomed. So as a little kid, you think, ‘Well, this is normal’. But I’ll say this, like, my brother found out in the most literal way he could, which was unfortunate for both of us, put it that way. And that’s how it ended, basically.”
The trauma, admits Clara, caught up with her in her early teens
(Image: Dave Benett/Getty Images for RAs)
The trauma, she says, caught up with Clara in her late teens when she battled depression, leading her to therapy. She confessed to having “basically had a nervous breakdown” at the age of 18 or 19 and suffered from anxiety attacks during her youth. Clara also spoke about the denial that clouded her when her mother confronted her about the abuse. After her brother disclosed the events to their mum, Clara, overwhelmed by shame, denied the abuse. She recounted how the police discouraged her from taking her case to court at 19, resulting in her abuser never facing justice. Reflecting on her teenage mindset, she said that she would have persisted with the case if it were happening now. However, Clara has now found the strength to speak out and describes herself as a “survivor”. She said: “I feel very, I feel strong. I feel very in control of who I am now. I think it’s a confidence thing as well.” Her bravery has been praised by fans, including domestic abuse campaigner David Challen, who wrote: “Huge admiration for Clara Amfo for bravely sharing the immense difficulties of overcoming being sexually abused by a family friend, which she says “changed me forever.” Others expressed their love and respect, with one user saying: “Morning listening. What a real one. Love and respect to Clara Amfo – keep rising”.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnStrictly Come DancingIn the News
