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Edinburgh, UK – Acclaimed British actress Celia Imrie, known for her roles in “Bridget Jones’s Diary” and “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,” has opened up about the traumatic treatment she endured as a young woman under the care of controversial psychiatrist William Sargant. Imrie’s revelations come as author Jon Stock publishes “The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal,” which details the disturbing practices at a renowned London hospital.
“Sleep Room” Horror: Women and Girls Targeted
Jon Stock’s investigation has brought to light testimonies from several of Sargant’s former patients, with a troubling pattern: the majority were women and young girls. Sargant, who practiced in the mid-20th century, was notorious for his “Sleep Room” therapies, which included forced sedation, insulin injections, and, in some cases, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT).
Stock reports that Sargant often preferred lobotomising unhappily married women rather than allowing them to divorce. He justified these extreme measures by claiming that such women could better “cope” with their difficult environments post-procedure.
Celia Imrie’s Ordeal
Celia Imrie, now set to appear on BBC’s “Celebrity Traitors,” recounted her experience as a teenager desperate to become a ballet dancer. After being told she was “too big,” Imrie developed a severe eating disorder, going to extreme lengths to lose weight. “I was soon little more than a carcass with skin,” she recalled.
Her time under Sargant’s care was marked by disturbing side effects: “My hands shook uncontrollably for most of the day, and I’d wake up to find clumps of my hair on the pillow.” The most terrifying symptom, she said, was double vision: “When Sargant came into the room, there were two of him. It was horrific and terrifying.”
Imrie described being injected with insulin daily, a practice Sargant believed would “fatten up” his patients. She believes she underwent “sub-coma shock treatment,” which left her drowsy, weak, and constantly hungry. Due to missing hospital records-many of which disappeared when Sargant retired-Imrie cannot confirm whether she was subjected to ECT, but she vividly remembers witnessing it performed on others, describing the “terrible thing for a fourteen-year-old to witness.”
A Pattern of Abuse and Secrecy
Stock’s research uncovered that women were often placed in Sargant’s care for trivial reasons, such as suspected romances deemed “inappropriate” by their families. One patient, Mary Thornton, was admitted to the Sleep Room after her parents disapproved of her boyfriend. She, too, has only fragmented memories of her treatment, including the terror of electrodes being attached to her head.
Rumours have long linked Sargant to the CIA’s infamous MK Ultra mind control program, and Stock notes that Sargant had connections to both MI5 and anonymous donors. However, direct evidence of CIA involvement remains elusive.
The Legacy of Sargant’s Methods
Sargant’s brutal methods-including forced sedation, insulin shock, and electroconvulsive therapy-have left lasting scars on his former patients. Imrie’s story is one of many, and Stock’s new book aims to shed light on this dark chapter in British medical history.
Disclaimer:
This article is based on information reported by Edinburgh Live and the newly published book “The Sleep Room: A Very British Medical Scandal” by Jon Stock. The accounts described are personal testimonies and allegations; some details, including Sargant’s purported links to intelligence agencies, remain unproven or subject to ongoing investigation. Readers are encouraged to consult multiple sources for a comprehensive understanding of the events described.
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