One Show host Clara Amfo reveals she was sexually abused by a family friend when she was five

Clara Amfo has revealed that she was sexually abused as a child by a former family friend.

The One Show presenter, 40, from Kingston upon Thames, spoke to Annie Mac on her Changes podcast and recalled her experience as a “survivor” of childhood sexual abuse.

She said: “In my personal life, my friends know about it and my family knows about it now, but I am a survivor, I am a victim, however you want to look at it, of childhood sexual abuse.”

“I was sexually abused by a friend of our family.

“And it took quite a while until I was, I think, five, six years old. And it stopped because one of my brothers found out.’

In the same interview, Clara also revealed that she had experienced racism during her radio appearance on the BBC. An unnamed colleague reportedly said that the show would become even more “gangster” with her arrival.

Clara (pictured during her childhood) said she mourns her childhood self before she was a victim of sexual abuse

The 40-year-old, who presented the 2024 Brit Awards, said her worldview had changed permanently, adding: “From the time I was five I knew the world wasn’t a safe place.”

Clara, the fifth of six siblings, was born in southwest London to Ghanaian parents.

Her father, a microbiologist, initially came to the UK for work, her mother later followed him and worked as a hospital cleaner.

She explained that growing up she didn’t have the language to express her trauma and at first she thought the abuse was “normal”, saying: “I was a little child, so you think, ‘This is normal.’ “That’s just what happens when I’m with that person.”

Clara said: “Issues of trust, self-esteem, you know, just broken, really.” And the innocence just dies in you. You can never get it back. She added, “And I’m grieving my childhood self, you know?”

The abuse stopped when her brother found out what had happened. She said, “And that’s how it ended.” And the change was that then I really realized, “Wait a minute, that was all wrong.” “I’m not sure about this person.”

Clara said she has since spent a “lifetime” dealing with the fallout from the traumatic experience.

The broadcaster did not tell her mother about the abuse because she was having difficulty communicating the truth at the time.

She said: “I had to work on myself so much from such a young age that I practically had a nervous breakdown when I was 18 or 19 because the extent of what had happened to me only really dawned on me at that age. “

Pictured: Annie Mac and Clara Amfo attend the NME Awards 2020 at the O2 Academy Brixton

Clara spoke to Annie Macmanus on her podcast Changes about her childhood (seen together in 2021).

After struggling with depression and anxiety, Clara entered therapy but kept her decision a secret from her mother.

Clara said: “I basically had to undergo therapy in secret because I was so depressed and so anxious and so terribly sad and just horrified.”

Despite the past events, Clara revealed that she feels “strong” now, saying: ““I feel like I have a lot of control over who I am now. I think it’s a confidence thing.”

Elsewhere, Clara spoke about the racism she experienced while working at the BBC in 2021 when she started working at Radio One.

Clara explained that the move was met with racism from listeners, claiming that a BBC colleague made a racist comment about her securing the position at the time.

MailOnline has contacted the BBC for comment.

Clara said: “There were even people at our place of work, or at our old place of work I guess… I remember someone had sent a message to someone saying ‘Radio One is going to get more gangsters now’ about me “‘what’s so terrible’.

“It’s so vile, such low and reductive racism… and I found out who it was, but the thing is, I wasn’t surprised, and it was someone in our building.”

She also revealed the “ambassador” she would receive on the text consoles, explaining that when she played a grime song, a listener texted and said, “Why don’t you go back?” [radio] one extra.’

Clara said: “You can feel what they’re really saying: ‘Go back to where you came from’, it’s so encoded.”

“I remember from then on saying I should curate the feed, I only want to interact with people who want to interact with me, and I tell you what, that saved my sanity.”

Pictured: Maya Jama, Roman Kemp and Clara Amfo on stage during the BRIT Awards 2024 at the O2 Arena

Clara Amfo attends the Prime Video Awards for Trialblazer

After the podcast episode aired, Clara shared a photo of herself during her childhood on Instagram.

She wrote: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out since the release of the episode of ‘Changes.'” @anniemacmanus Thank you for being a trusted friend and professional during the conversation we had. ⁣

“What saddens me, but doesn’t surprise me, is that so many of you are also survivors of childhood sexual abuse.” Statistically, 90 percent of children know their abuser. I’ve found this to be absolutely true in conversations I’ve had with both friends and strangers.⁣⁣

“For some of you, it is the trauma that never fully goes away and shows up in how you treat your body, the relationships you engage in, how you perceive yourself, etc.

“Some of you are able to temporarily zone out and move through life smoothly. Some of you may be at the intersection of all of the above. I believe that everything is valid.⁣

“One of my recurring responses to people’s kind messages over the last 24 hours is ‘I’M STILL HERE, B****!’ because there were times when I felt exactly the opposite. ⁣

“That’s why I will always advocate speaking to someone, be it a psychologist and/or, if possible, finding community in vetted organizations.” ⁣⁣

“A long list of organizations can be found on the website below. sexualabusesupport.campaign.gov.uk⁣

⁣If you’re short on research time, check out these two. @napac.uk. @survivorsukcharity Specially for boys, men and non-binary survivors.⁣ Believe children, support adult survivors, big love.⁣’

If you need to talk about sexual abuse, contact Rape Crisis on 0808 500 2222