Forget His Lies. Ill Tell You the Truth about My Down and out Husband; Deceptive: Ed Poses in His Home a Lonely Bench on the Seafront A Wonderful Husband: Ed Mitchell and His Family High Hopes: Ed and Judys Wedding Day Doting Dad: With Alex and Baby Freddie Survival: Judy Says She Got out in Time

Byline: EILEEN FAIRWEATHER, RICHARD PENDLEBURY

JUDY MITCHELL believes that she will always love her former husband. Shejust couldnt bear to live with his deceit.

And so this past week has been one of renewed anger and despair for her as EdMitchell, formerly a wonderful husband and father, spun a story to the worldabout his extraordinary fall from grace. Hed once been a top televisionjournalist, interviewing world leaders for the BBC and ITN. Now he is sleepingrough on a seafront in picturesque Brighton, on Englands south coast.

According to Mitchell, the easy credit offered by finance companies was toblame for his recent [pounds sterling]250,000 (e375,000) bankruptcy, divorce and nine months onthe streets. But, by last night, his account had almost completely unravelled.

Mitchell, an army officers son, was revealed, by those closest to him, as a manin total denial; an alcoholic and gambler whose twin addictions destroyed hiscareer, marriage and family.

His 82-year-old mother Joyce insisted she had thrown him out of her own homeonly three months ago because of his drinking and unwillingness to get a job.Ive never been so unhappy, she said.

A neighbour who had offered to help Mrs Mitchell move her 54-year-old sonsbelongings from her garage reportedly counted some 20 Savile Row suits. NowMitchells former wife Judy, 53, has also spoken out in the desperate hope thatsomething will get through and he stops drinking before the booze kills him andhe leaves our children fatherless.

Judy first met Mitchell in Hong Kong in 1975. He was absolutely gorgeous, sherecalls. They married in 1981 and life for her seemed too good to be true.

I was madly in love with him. He had this mop of beautiful, blond curls. We hada similar sense of humour and always knew what the other was thinking, and hehad this beautiful voice, like honey.

What she didnt know was that her new husband was already drinking very heavily.

Ed was arrested in Hong Kong for streaking when he was obviously drunk. Apicture appeared in the papers of him in all his glory. To my mortification,that photo then turned up at our weddingthe best man thought it …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Forget His Lies. Ill Tell You the Truth about My Down and out Husband; Deceptive: Ed Poses in His Home a Lonely Bench on the Seafront A Wonderful Husband: Ed Mitchell and His Family High Hopes: Ed and Judys Wedding Day Doting Dad: With Alex and Baby Freddie Survival: Judy Says She Got out in Time. Contributors: Not available. Newspaper title: Daily Mail (London). Publication date: December 20, 2007. Page number: 28. © 2007 Daily Mail. COPYRIGHT 2007 Gale Group.

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