‘I'm not famous now and it's more NORMAL'

Ruby Wax talks about compulsive cleaning and using mindfulness to help get through tough times

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Ruby Wax shot to fame back in the 90s by saying the unsayable. In her raucous TV interviews with the likes of Donald Trump and Madonna, she earned legions of fans by taking the mickey out of the rich and famous. Ruby’s brash American approach made her seem utterly fearless.

But it turns out that Ruby is more human than her TV alter ego. Today, Ruby admits that when the pandemic hit in 2020, she was gripped by fear. ‘I seized up in terror, where I’d see kids and I’d scream at them to keep their distance and I’d hide in bushes, thinking they were [COVID-19] carriers and they’re trying to kill me,’ admits Ruby, 68, in that trademark midwestern twang.

‘And I did hoover my house obsessively until I wore through the carpet. I just wanted to keep busy. I didn’t want to face the horror. I think a lot of people are traumatised by the pandemic and not even because of the coronavirus. It’s because of what happened mentally.’ The pandemic and lockdowns, she says, forced many of us to face big questions about life, loneliness, relationships, financial insecurity, poor health, and even death.