Annabel Croft, the former British tennis player and BBC Wimbledon commentator, once spent 10 days sleeping rough on the streets of London as part of a documentary series. The 59-year-old, who will be conducting interviews ahead of the men's and women's Wimbledon finals this weekend, participated in the BBC's Famous, Rich and Homeless series in 2009. She was among several volunteers who swapped their comfortable lifestyles for an encounter with severe deprivation.
Background on Annabel Croft
Croft made her mark on the SW19 grass courts during her playing days. She progressed to the third round in 1984 and finished her career with a singles record of 49-68, claiming one WTA title along the way. Despite her success, she temporarily left behind her spacious six-bedroom home to sleep in shop doorways for a week and a half. The Wimbledon commentator was accompanied in the challenge by Hardeep Singh Kohli, Rosie Boycott, Bruce Jones, and the Marquis of Blandford.
The Terrifying Incident
Nothing could have equipped Croft for existence on the streets. In a Daily Mail column published the same year as the programme, Croft recounted a frightening incident when she narrowly escaped serious harm. She wrote: "Slowly, I made it to the Strand in time to make the food drop from a van provided by a charity called the Simon Community. When I got there, an old battleaxe of a woman demanded, 'What are you doing here?' I said I just wanted a cup of tea but she said I was unwelcome."
She added: "She had spotted Fiona, my camerawoman, and clearly wanted to provoke a fight. I was still trying to get some tea when two Polish guys came at me from nowhere. Fiona and I were both protected - from a distance - by a security guard, Stuart Cleverley. Within moments he was by my side, grabbed me by the arm and whisked me away from my argument. Only when we were 30 yards clear did he tell me that one of the men had pulled out a knife and was inches away from stabbing me in the back."
Impact of the Experience
The experience left Croft "scared witless", and she even considered abandoning the documentary following her near-fatal encounter. Nevertheless, she decided to continue through to completion. She eventually met people from every background, some of whom generously provided help. She said: "On so many occasions I have walked past homeless people and thought, 'Oh, for goodness sake, you are so young. Get up and go and get a job.' But no one will employ a person who has no address, who can't prove who they are. It's a vicious circle."
After the programme, Croft explored the subject further with her BBC Radio 5 Live show, James: My Alcoholic Friend, which focused on her attempts to reconnect with one of the rough sleepers she had encountered during Famous, Rich and Homeless.
