EastEnders actors judging show for those in recovery

An EastEnders actor who has had his own recovery struggles has returned to a city for a talent show for people with addiction and poor mental health issues.

Howard Saddler, who plays vicar Gideon Clayton in the BBC soap, was a judge on Recovery’s Got Talent in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk.

“I got involved straight away because I was in recovery myself and came to Bury St Edmunds for treatment and then I got involved about seven or eight years ago,” he said.

“I did it for a year and then moved away, and this year I had the great honor of being asked to be a judge and I jumped at the chance.”

The event is organized by a coalition of support organizations including Turning Point, Anglia Care Trust and Artheads.

Jody Lee, aka The Skinny Poet, is a former contestant who hosts the show, which he says is for people who “so often don’t have a voice.”

“It’s really about helping people who have been through any difficult circumstances – addicts and survivors of abuse, survivors of physical or mental problems – [a chance to] express yourself creatively,” he said.

“It’s really important that they feel connected and can talk about some of the issues I had.”

“When you think about the word ‘recovery,’ it’s about recovering ourselves…the understanding of that expands.”

This was the seventh Recovery’s Got Talent and took place at King Edward IV School on Saturday.

There were seven performances, plus last year’s winner Lauren opening the show, poetry by Jody Lee and a closing number by Al “Soulman” Sharp.

The four judges (BBC Suffolk’s Jon Wright, Saddler, Bury St Edmunds Mayor Diane Hind, and Lauren) gave positive comments after each performance, but an anonymous audience vote chose the winner.

Autistic singer Jasmine Rose was this year’s winner and spoke about her own mental health struggles after being bullied at school.

She sang “All the Man That I Need” by Whitney Houston and then “A New Life” from the Jekyll and Hyde musical, which she said “really resonates with me personally.”

“This is absolutely overwhelming, I’m so happy,” she said.

“It’s about wanting to get better, building a new life and continuing to look forward.”

Saddler added: “I think it’s one of those things like mental health. People are more aware of this and in the workplace we should recognize it.”

“But if you mention it [being in recovery] People can still shy away from it – unfortunately that is the reality.

“Time is the greatest healer and I think society needs some time to get used to understanding and that’s what’s happening.”

“It’s happening slowly and events like this only help.”

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