I was called an idiot on TV by Richard Madeley for trying the Wegovy diet shot when I didn’t need it – but I deserved it

Last week I made the difficult decision to share my own horrific experience of experimenting with the slimming injection Wegovy in The Mail on Sunday.

While visiting a friend recently, I was persuaded to try “The Pen,” as women my age call the injectable drug.

At the time it felt like a bit of fun. Everyone seems to be doing it these days.

Plus, even though I’m definitely not overweight – my BMI is 21.7 – I thought it would help me fit back into my pre-baby jeans.

It was a huge mistake. Within days of taking Wegovy, I was vomiting and had a debilitating migraine. At one point, I honestly thought I was going to die.

Within days of taking Wegovy, the Mail’s Charlotte Griffiths began vomiting and was plagued by a debilitating migraine

Richard Madeley, left, is called Ms Griffiths, second from right, an idiot on Good Morning Britain

These medications have been tested for years and have been shown to be safe and highly effective for people who need them.

The injections mimic the natural ‘appetite hormone’ called GLP-1, which signals to the brain that the stomach is full. This also lowers blood sugar levels, which is why diabetes patients get them.

Studies show that obese patients who start taking GLP-1 injections see their risk of heart disease and cancer drop, not to mention that many lose up to 15 percent of their body weight.

For these patients, these medications can be life-changing.

But for healthy patients like me, there is no evidence that they are safe – or even work.

I still don’t know what I was thinking when I decided to try it.

So when I was asked to appear on ITV’s Good Morning Britain two days after my article was published, I was torn between two camps.

To be honest, I was embarrassed at how stupid I had been. Not only had I taken someone else’s prescribed medication without thinking about my safety – it turned out I had taken four times the recommended dose to start with – meaning I had effectively overdosed.

And I did that because I wanted to be a little thinner, despite the fact that I am already quite slim.

I wasn’t sure I could handle the added embarrassment of having to explain my stupid decision on live television in front of millions of viewers.

I knew that the presenter Richard Madeley – not known for his natural likability – would judge me negatively about what I did. I was also told that the doctor I was appearing next to, Dr Vicky Price, would probably criticise me for my actions.

But one thing has convinced me to swallow my pride. Since writing the piece, I have been struck by the chilling number of women who have contacted me to tell me about their own experiences with Wegovy.

Many of them are already slim and healthy, several had a terrible reaction to the drug, just like me.

Our editor-in-chief wanted to warn as many people as possible that the weight loss product was not something they should experiment with

I wanted to warn as many people as possible that this is not something they should experiment with.

The interview went exactly as I expected. Within 30 seconds Richard Madeley had called me an ‘idiot’.

I found this rather harsh. After all, Richard doesn’t know what it’s like to be a 39-year-old mother of three who came of age in the 90s, the era of “heroin chic” when every woman wanted to be thin.

I also assume that he doesn’t get targeted ads promoting these diet pills when he appears on social media, as I – and so many other women – do regularly.

But I was a little surprised when even his lovely co-presenter Kate Garraway called me a ‘joker’.

Even Madeley’s beautiful co-presenter Kate Garraway called Ms Griffiths a ‘joker’

But it wasn’t all bad. Dr Hilary Jones, the show’s resident GP, said I was ‘brave’ to talk about my horrible experience.

Dr Vicky Price – who I had expected to be devastating – was thankfully kind and said she was only concerned about the number of people arriving at NHS hospitals with “incredibly similar” stories to mine.

She also noted that some people who experimented with these weight-loss drugs suffered from pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), a serious condition that can be “life-threatening.”

This reinforced for me the importance of speaking out on this issue. It terrifies me that young women are risking their lives to lose a few pounds.

Afterwards, Madeley apologized for his harsh words, but the truth is he was right.

I was an idiot for taking Wegovy – and I think anyone who considers taking it just to fit into a new bikini or dress is an idiot too.