From £100,000 a year TV presenter to sleeping rough

Ed Mitchell

From high-flying TV presenter 1996 (left) to sleeping rough in 2007 (right)

The story of Ed Mitchell on BBC South made me sit up straight. Mitchell was a high-flying TV journalist (BBC, ITN, Sky, CNBC, Reuters) who interviewed six presidents, five chancellors and thre prime ministers. He had a £500,000 house and earnt up to £100,000 a year - but now he's sleeping rough in Hove.

He's been declared bankrupt with debts of £250,000. The cruel irony is that he was a financial journalist.

It's one of those stories which make you think: "There but for the grace of God go I". You can be sailing along and, then all of a sudden, life's cruel chances turn you into Louis Winthorpe III, that character played by Dan Ackroyd in Trading Places who went from yuppie to drop-out in a couple of days.

Things are looking up for Mr Mitchell, though. He's had loads of media interest in his plight and the Brighton Argos have given him a job for a week, reading their video news reports.

Photos from TV Ark and Brighton Argos.