Woman with snake phobia who locked herself in her bedroom for 48 hours after finding out a neighbour breeds reptiles is ‘cured’ after just two hours with the Speakmans (but This Morning viewers aren’t convinced)
- Michelle Hodgson, from London, met with the Speakmans about fear of snakes
- Has had lifelong fear of the reptiles which was passed on to her from her mother
- Said she was planning on moving as neighbour Jason McSweeney bred snakes
- But viewers weren’t convinced, and felt two hours isn’t enough to tackle a phobia
A woman who was so terrified of snakes she ‘locked herself inside her bedroom for two days’ when she found out her neighbour breeds reptiles, has beaten her phobia in just two hours.
Herpetophobic Michelle Hodgson, from East London, had a lifelong fear of reptiles, and after discovering her neighbour Jason McSweeney kept snakes in his garage, considered ‘moving house’.
Appearing on This Morning today, Michelle appeared to beat her phobia, after spending hours with therapists Nik and Eva Speakman, and realising she had been passed on the fear from her mother- even managing later to stroke a snake.
However viewers weren’t convinced by the transformation, with several suggesting a lifelong fear would take more than two hours of therapy to get rid of, with some branding the segment ‘fake’.
Michelle Hodgson, (pictured) from East London, was so terrified of snakes she ‘locked herself inside her bedroom for two days’ when she found out her neighbour breeds reptiles
After discovering her neighbour Jason McSweeney (pictured) kept snakes in his garage, Michelle even considered moving house
‘I’m terrified of snakes,’ said Michelle. ‘I’ve had this fear since I was younger, back when I was really young. Possibly because my mum has a fear of snakes, i’m wondering if it’s something i’ve picked up from her.
‘The guy next door started breeding snakes in the garage next door to my garage, so obviously I found out. [It was] only a few days after they arrived because I had a parcel delivered to next door.’
Jason explained that Michelle burst into tears after she noticed him cleaning out his snake’s bedding in his garage.
‘The neighbours came knocking on the door in the next couple of hours and said she was in a terrible state,’ explained Jason.
Viewers weren’t convinced by the transformation, with several suggesting a lifelong fear would take more than two hours of therapy to get rid of, with some branding the segment ‘fake’
Michelle went on: ‘I locked myself in my bedroom for two days, I just couldn’t come down. I was shaking and crying and my friends and family didn’t know what to do. Really it was my mum who got in contact with the Speakmans.
Jason said he hoped his neighbours chat with the Speakmans was enough to hello her ‘claim her life back’ – while Michelle revealed she was considering making drastic life changes as a result of her fear.
‘If I didn’t get over this fear I would definitely be considering moving house’, said Michelle, ‘If I couldn’t get over it then I don’t think I could live here.’
Appearing on This Morning today, Michelle appeared to beat her phobia, after spending hours with therapists Nik and Eva Speakman
After meeting Nik and Eva, Michelle revealed that her mother had been chased with a grass snake when she was younger, meaning she developed a fear of the reptiles and Michelle had eventually developed the same fear.
She was then introduced, by the therapists, to a snake for the first time as an adult, to try to bust her ‘interpretation’ of the creature that she’s manifested herself over the years.
The segment ended with Michelle touching a snake for the first time as Nik held the animal, even admitting that it had ‘quite a sweet face’.
After meeting Nik and Eva, Michelle revealed that her mother had been chased with a grass snake when she was younger, meaning she developed a fear of the reptiles
But viewers weren’t convinced by the segment, with one writing: ‘After two hours she cured. Whatever’.
A third wrote: ‘Phobias done in two hours. What a load of b*****t’.
A third said: ‘That was the fakest segment ever!!! You can’t ‘cure’ a phobia in 2 hours!!! It’s different if someone is holding a snake and there are camera crews around you, but then the following day you see a snake that had escaped from your neighbour!! She still has that phobia.’