Esme Young, the adored judge from BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee, has bravely shared details of a harrowing health crisis that threatened to cut short her flourishing television career.
The 74-year-old fashion icon revealed she suffered a severe fall last year, resulting in a broken shoulder and collarbone – injuries so debilitating she feared she might never return to the show.
A Painful Setback
"I fell over in the street and smashed my shoulder and collarbone," Young disclosed. "The pain was excruciating, and recovery was agonisingly slow."
The accident occurred just as filming was about to commence for the popular sewing competition's latest series, leaving production in limbo as producers waited to see if their star judge would recover in time.
The Road to Recovery
Through sheer determination and intensive physiotherapy, Young made a remarkable comeback. "I was absolutely determined not to let my Sewing Bee family down," she said. "The thought of not being there with Patrick and the contestants was unbearable."
Her resilience paid off, with Young managing to return to judge the show's creative challenges, though she admits some adjustments were necessary: "I couldn't lift heavy rolls of fabric for quite some time, but we made it work."
A Message to Fans
The beloved judge expressed deep gratitude to viewers who sent well-wishes during her recovery. "The support from Sewing Bee fans was overwhelming and really helped me through the darkest days," Young shared emotionally.
Now fully recovered, Young is looking forward to future series, proving that neither age nor injury can dampen her passion for fashion and mentoring aspiring sewers.
