Woman Reveals What Life Was Like As A 'Rubbish Hoarder'

Most of us know what it's like to let stuff pile up in our bedroom, or to leave the recycling ready to go out just that little bit too long.

But that's nothing compared to the home of 47-year-old Sally-Ann, who has revealed what it's like for hoarding to spiral completely out of control on forthcoming Channel 5 show Hoarders: Buried Alive In My Bedroom.

Sally-Ann couldn't even use some of the rooms in her home as they were so jam-packed with stuff she's acquired over the past 17 years - including the kitchen, which meant she had to start making sandwiches in bed.

Channel 5

Same goes for the bathroom, worryingly.

"I couldn't get to the toilet in time because I'd have to climb over all the rubbish so I started urinating in bottles," the self-confessed 'rubbish hoarder' admitted.

"The cats were sleeping around me as well and they'd end up messing in certain corners of the bedroom.

"I created a hell basically to live in."

Sally-Ann, who is unable to work due to health issues, continued: "I don't think it's that I can't throw stuff away - I can't be bothered to."

Channel 5

She added: "I think it began when I moved in on my own. My place used to get untidy anyway, like everyone's does and then all of a sudden I had to put the bin out and I just thought 'oh my god'.

"I class myself as a hoarder in the sense of a rubbish hoarder."

Things escalated so badly that Sally-Ann found herself living in 'pure rubbish' - which even became a threat to her health.

She explained: "You couldn't see my bed, and from the floor to the ceiling there were piles and piles of black bags dissolving with cat food, rotting food and cat litter - cat faeces and all sorts and I was actually living in that."

Sally-Ann's neighbours complained, which was when she was threatened with eviction by the council.

Over the course of six days, a team of people managed to clear the flat, and Sally-Ann was given counselling.

For 18 months her home was checked up on regularly, but eventually the issue spiralled once again - meaning she had to rope in cleaning team Kaz and Tee to help her.

Thankfully, Sally-Ann's home is finally habitable - although it did take a total of four days to clear out a tonne of the rubbish Sally-Ann had accumulated.

Now able to get into her bedroom, she said: "I'm glad after 13 years, I'm here."

Hoarders: Buried Alive in My Bedroom airs May 21 at 10pm on Channel 5.

Topics: UK News, Entertainment, TV and Film, News

Jess Hardiman

Jess is a journalist at LADbible who graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics - indecisiveness at its finest, right there. She also works for FOODbible and its sister page Seitanists, which are both a safe haven for her to channel a love for homemade pasta, fennel and everything else in between. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

@Jess_Hardiman