star has opened up about her horrific ordeal of having her drink spiked, and admitted she blamed herself for the offence.
The TV star, who appeared on the most recent series of the ITV2 dating programme in 2021, went for lunch with friends to celebrate the end of lockdown in July 2020.
However, she collapsed and fell unconscious after going to the toilet and was later found by friends, before being rushed to hospital.
Sharon revealed she’d only had a few glasses of wine and felt ‘completely sober’ but recalled the paramedics dismissing her claims believing she’d had too much to drink.
She later woke up in hospital with no memory of what happened to her.
Speaking , the former civil servant explained: ‘I knew there was this guy at our table and thought I should have known better — I should have kept my drink close to me. I felt violated but also guilty.
‘And that’s been part of my journey, having to overcome this feeling that it was my fault.’
Sharon, 26, thought she was having a heart attack after her drink was spiked and ‘couldn’t really breathe’. She was left with a lump on her head where she had fallen and didn’t leave the house for a week.
The reality star has worked with the Young Women’s Trust since sharing her story, with hopes of raising awareness about drink spiking, which was said to have reached epidemic levels earlier this year.
Sharon also expressed her frustration with having to take preventative measures against spiking and sexual assault – and questioned: ‘At what point do we stop asking how women can protect themselves? The onus is always on us and never on men to make us safer. I know it’s not “all men” — but all men can do their bit.’
The activist admitted to feeling ‘ashamed’ about what happened to her and feared victim shaming, but hopes to ‘normalise’ the conversation and hopes to empower other women by coming forward.
