FROM HEADLINES TO HARD TIMES
From Headlines to Hard Times
Ed Mitchell
UK & Commonwealth rights: John Blake Publishing
All other rights available
'A fiercely candid memoir' - Mail on Sunday
In his heyday as a top television news broadcaster, Ed Mitchell interviewed Prime Ministers, Chancellors, foreign Presidents and international business leaders over a thirty year career. He commanded a six-figure salary, travelled the world and had a seemingly perfect family life. But, beneath the surface, Ed was battling demons that would eventually take over his life as he slid into alcoholism, debt, bankruptcy and, ultimately, homelessness. This is the astonishing true story of the newscaster who became known as the white-collar tramp.
From his days as a Reuters trainee in Fleet Street and Hong Kong, via a decade at the BBC to News at Ten bulletins for ITN, Ed was a brilliant reporter who climbed to the top of his profession. But lurking in the background was a growing dependency on alcohol and, after he was sacked from his job at CNBC, his life began to spiral downwards into alcohol addiction and credit card debts that ran out of control. Ed’s marriage collapsed after twenty-five years, and he was eventually declared bankrupt. With nowhere to live, no job and not a penny to his name, he had no choice but to sleep rough on a bench on Hove seafront.
Ed’s story became headline news when a local reporter came across him just before Christmas. The shocking tale of his dramatic fall from grace sparked a media frenzy and he was soon on the front pages of national newspapers, on radio and television. A half-hour documentary, Saving Ed Mitchell, was broadcast on ITV to an audience of nearly five million. Within days, Ed was able to book into Europe’s most famous rehab centre, The Priory, thanks to a benefactor who had read his story. His time there was emotionally tough but allowed him to finally get a grip on his addiction. He is now more than a year into his recovery.
In this stunningly candid book, Ed finally tells his own story. The pages are filled with hilarious anecdotes from his time as a
news reporter in Fleet Street, Hong Kong, Zurich and Singapore. With searing honesty he recounts his fall from household name to the anonymity and degradation of being a rough sleeper and the moment he knew he had hit a 'very wet and smelly rock bottom.' His story shows starkly how anyone can slide into similar destitution but it also movingly provides hope that anyone has the power to change.
Ed Mitchell was one of Europe’s leading business broadcasters for many years, interviewing many hundreds
of top financial and political figures. He worked with some of the world’s most respected news organisations including Reuters, the BBC, ITN, Channel Four, European Business Channel (Zurich), Asia Business News (Singapore), European Business News (London) and CNBC. He was regularly on News at Ten, Budget programmes, lunchtime and breakfast television, as well as being a well-known face in City dealing rooms.
His career then took a rockier course. Redundancy, dozens of short-term jobs, mounting debt problems, alcoholism, divorce and bankruptcy led to homelessness and sleeping rough on Hove seafront. A quirk of fate got him into rehab and on to the path of recovery.
