Gregg Wallace makes a movie about poverty as the cost of living crisis hits the nation

To exclude, to expel:

Gregg, who has two grown children from a previous marriage, spends the day with single mother Daisy White and her children 12-year-old Molly, Sapphire and Rhys, whose chronic kidney disease means longevity His is limited to about 25.

Gregg Wallace made a short film to highlight the plight of low-income families with a disabled or sick child – after discovering that his own son has autism.

The MasterChef star, 57, says he was “just stunned” to discover how disruptive the cost-of-living crisis is dragging on an already tight budget.

He joined the McCain food company and the national charity Family Fund after his three-year-old son Sid, who can’t speak, was recently diagnosed with autism.

Gregg, who has two grown children from a previous marriage, spends the day with single mother Daisy White and her children 12-year-old Molly, Sapphire and Rhys, whose chronic kidney disease means longevity his is limited to about 25..

Working with Daisy to prepare healthy meals on a small budget the BBC wanted to help – but found he simply had no advice to offer.

“There are a few things that caught my attention,” he told the Mirror. “It is a fact that I have a child with learning difficulties. Another problem is that I have been a single father for many years.

“And thirdly, with my background in food, I thought – incorrectly – that I could add something, that somehow I could give some advice.

“But really what I realized when I met Daisy, the family, was that I really had no clue. I didn’t know about the situation some people were in. It was just amazing.”

Gregg admits that spending the day with white people has been an eye-opener.

At one point, Rhys said that one of his favorite things to do was take the elevators – because they reminded him of what it was like to leave the hospital ward – where he had endured 38 operations. and spend two of his three Christmases.

“It was probably the most emotional bit for me,” admits Gregg.

He says he has found Daisy, who can no longer afford Sunday meat, as inspiration.

“She became a hero of mine. I’ve talked to people who love to cook because they host dinner parties, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

“But Daisy has incredible cooking skills because she has to feed her family. She simply can’t afford to sell chippie and she can’t afford ready-to-eat meals.”

He says he’s been super impressed by her self-taught skills, which means she can make béchamel sauce for lasagne, or roux for macaroni cheese, in seconds. “I said, ‘Have you been taught? Did you go to college?’ No, she doesn’t. It is only through absolute necessity. ”

Gregg thinks politicians have a lot to learn from people like Daisy. “I honestly think the government should take someone like her as an example of what can be done.

“It would be great to have her as a kind of government sponsored teacher. – She has a lot to give in terms of cooking, planning, budgeting. I was amazed. about her.”

The film was released on Wednesday on mccainfamilyfund.co.uk, which aims to raise awareness of the difficulties some families face. Gregg, who finds the whole experience “emotional,” recently discovered that his youngest son Sid has autism. He said his situation was very different.

“It makes you count your blessings, you realize that you have never been in a difficult situation like Daisy. With little Sid, there is a lot of care and I am not alone. I have a wife here and I have a wife here too.

“I wouldn’t choose Sid with these difficulties. I’m sure Daisy wouldn’t choose this life for herself or for Rhys, but you’ll get on with it. I don’t need help but I think there are families like Daisy that definitely need help. I can’t think of anyone more deserving than her. “

He hopes that by promoting the work done by the charity, with McCain’s support, he can motivate them. “I’m sure if we were more conscious, help would come. I think there is a lack of understanding here. Definitely yes for me. I went from there pretty embarrassed that I didn’t know much more.”

Gregg was shocked to learn that it costs three times more to have a disabled or sick child than it does to have a child without special needs. It was also due to the fact that Daisy could not work full time. “The cost of looking after Rhys, if it weren’t for her, is just taboo,” he explains.

“She didn’t know what Rhys was going to be every morning until he woke up, and neither did Rhys. So it’s completely impossible for her to have a full-time job. It’s not their own fault.

“I see myself as a single parent. It’s not something you choose to do. She found herself with a wonderful, severely disabled child in Rhys, and that was not what she chose to do.

“So this actually had a pretty big impact on me. Because I’m a realist and I’m not scared of rolling up my sleeves and getting entangled. But I thought to myself, ‘What the hell am I doing? ?'”

Research conducted for the campaign shows that 90% of families raising children with disabilities are having difficulty paying or are behind on their household bills, with the average debt currently sitting at around £5,500 .

The Family Fund aims to provide essential subsidies and support services to those who need it most, helping 112,000 families. An estimated half a million families in the UK still have access to UK subsidies and services.

For more information and to watch the movie, visit mccainfamilyfund.co.uk