WANDERING barefoot in a onesie through the swish streets of Chelsea, Tara
Palmer-Tomkinson is nearly unrecognisable.
It is hard to believe this bedraggled figure is Prince Charles’s god-daughter,
the one-time queen of society’s party circuit, millionaire and telly star —
the It girl with everything.
Tara, who turns 43 today, caused shockwaves this week with her public meltdown
at Heathrow Airport, when she was arrested and handcuffed by eight armed
police.
But those who know her have been worried for some time about the behaviour of
the former socialite, who has struggled in the past with drink and drug
addictions.
One friend told how, at a party in the summer, Tara baffled other guests by
carrying around a collection of ping pong balls in her Chanel bag, which she
kept showing to people.
Another close source told The Sun last night: “She is utterly rudderless and
seems to find herself swinging from one disaster to the next.
“There was something quite charming about her chaotic lifestyle when she was
in her 20s, and the public have always adored her appearances on reality
shows as she is like an excitable puppy.
“But now she is 43 the joke is wearing a bit thin.
“Her friends have all married and had children and she has nobody to party
with any more.”
Apart from the occasional outings in her onesies, Tara now spends most of her
time isolated and alone, holed up in her three-storey home in posh
Kensington, West London.
Friends say she has struggled to cope since her most recent stint at a
treatment centre, this time for anxiety problems, two years ago.
A source close to the socialite said: “Tara’s struggled to get back into a
routine of normal, everyday life since leaving rehab.
“Part of the problem is she’s been living the life of a recluse.
“Her friends are all settled down with children and have busy lives.
“Tara’s struggled to find her purpose in life and all the therapy she’s had
has only made her question her past lifestyle more.
“She has very few people she can rely on as friends. If she goes out to
events it’s often on her own.”
The source continued: “One of the symptoms following drug rehab is you often
get far edgier than usual in all walks of life.
“You’re on medication and anti-depressants and if you forget to take a dose or
mix them up then they can often make you very confused and cause panic
attacks.
“It’s no surprise she’s having these sorts of problems. It comes with the
territory.
“She’s always had a fairly short fuse and her barminess has taken a turn for
the worse lately.
“She just seems to be in her own little world and it’s a desperately sad
situation for everyone who knows her.”
Tara shot to fame when she was pictured giving Prince Charles — a close friend
of her wealthy, blueblooded parents — a cheeky kiss on the ski slopes of
Klosters in 1995.
She soon became a media darling, pictured partying with everyone from royalty
to more lowly celebrities such as former best pal, Duncan James from
boyband, Blue. Despite occasional scary periods of skinniness, she also
raked in piles of cash from advertisers ranging from luxury brands to
Walker’s crisps.
But even then, she did not always hit the headlines for the right reasons. At
her 25th birthday party her worryingly thin frame and glassy eyes again
caused questions.
Three years later TP-T, as she is known, stunned viewers of Frank Skinner’s
chat show by slurring and weeping through an interview.
She went into rehab for drug use shortly afterwards but has fought demons ever
since.
In 2002 Tara bounced back, becoming runner-up on the first series of I’m A
Celebrity. She won hearts partly through viewers backing her over
ex-boyfriend and fellow contestant Darren Day, with whom she had heartfelt
jungle rows.
Tara admits she has never had much luck in love.
She has had relationships with eligible bachelors including Danish
restaurateur Mogens Tholstrup, aristocrat Zac Goldsmith and businessman
Robert Hanson, but none lasted.
A source said: “Tara has had a few failed relationships this year. We’re
worried the strongest relationship in her life so far was her relationship
with drugs.
“Her friends have all settled down and don’t have anything in common with Tara
any more. She’s drifted apart from her old set.
“She’s still a regular fixture at her favourite Chelsea haunts such as the
Richard Ward hair salon. She can often be seen wandering around inside
barefooted while talking in characteristic 100-decibel tones about the
trials and tribulations of her life.
“Chelsea scene stalwarts have known Tara for ever and understand her boorish
behaviour is born out of deep insecurity and fragility.
“They are quite protective of her but the patience of others has run out — and
in some circles she’s viewed as an arrogant has-been.”
This year was supposed to be Tara’s big chance to return to the showbiz life
she once revelled in.
In January she was due to compete in one of the year’s biggest reality TV
shows, The Jump, pitting celebrities against each other in winter sports. As
an accomplished skier and daughter of Olympic ski ace Charles
Palmer-Tomkinson, Tara was a favourite to win the Channel 4 show.
Yet before it even went live Tara quit because she was feeling “under stress”.
Friends say it has been downhill ever since.
She made a rare public appearance in June on the Jeremy Kyle Show, in which
she wept as she talked about living as a recluse and said drugs now
“terrified” her.
In August she revealed she has been diagnosed with a form of autism.
Her friend said: “Everyone is terribly worried that if Tara doesn’t get a grip
of herself and find something to do, the future doesn’t look too good for
her.
“We just hope we can help her before she gets even worse.”
‘My airport rage was set off by travellers’ jeers’
TARA’S Heathrow meltdown was set off by fellow passengers’ SNIGGERS,
she revealed last night.
Witnesses had claimed the drama erupted after she was refused access to the
first class lounge.
But speaking from Klosters in Switzerland last night, Tara told The Sun: “I
was on my own reading a magazine.
“I felt people behind me taking pictures.
“I could hear them all talking about me and laughing about me and I got upset.
“It’s nothing to do with the lounge, I swear on the Bible.”
Her distress then caused airport staff to advise her not to travel, which only
made things worse.
Tara said: “I got upset with the man saying, ‘You are not fit to travel, you
are crying’. I really lost my temper.”
In her panic during the incident on Saturday afternoon, the socialite then
tried to run back through security, which is why she says she was arrested
and cuffed.
She continued: “I wasn’t drunk, there was no disorderly. I was cautioned, I
saw a doctor, they were incredibly nice to me.
“It’s just that I suffer from anxiety. I find it hard to leave my home and
airports are a big number for me. I would have been fine if I was with a
friend.”
And she insisted: “There absolutely wasn’t a dispute getting into the lounge,
hand on heart.
“I wasn’t travelling first class anyway, I was business class.
“I never go to the lounge, I hate the lounge. I was just talking to the lady
outside the lounge who was telling me what gate to go to. I burst into
tears, that’s all.”
Tara, who ended up travelling to the ski resort on Sunday instead, said: “I
just wish I could turn back the clock.
“I have tried so hard this year to do well, and I have done well.”
Life highs and lows
1971: Born to blue-blooded Olympic skier Charles and wife Patricia.
Tara’s dad had become one of Prince Charles’ closest friends after teaching
him to ski. Prince becomes Tara’s godfather.
As the youngster grows the two families holiday together three times a year.
Tara brought up on her family’s 1,200-acre estate near Basingstoke, Hants. She
is educated at posh girls’ prep school Hanford, Dorset, before boarding at
nearby Sherborne School for Girls. After taking three A-levels she briefly
works for Rothschild bank in London.
1995: First makes it into the news when she is spotted skiing on
holiday at Klosters with Prince Charles and sons Wills and Harry.
1999: Checks into rehab in Arizona for £400-a-day cocaine addiction.
2002: Catapulted back to mainstream attention by appearing on I’m a
Celebrity, posing with a Help sign in advance publicity for the very first
series, left. She finishes as the show’s runner-up.
2003: Begins hosting I’m A Celebrity’s ITV2 spin-off Get Me Out of Here
Now, a role she holds for three years.
2004: Becomes the face of Walkers Sensations crisps.
2006: Nasal septum collapses from earlier years of cocaine abuse.
Reconstructive surgery of her nose reportedly costs £6,000.
2007: Wins Comic Relief Does Fame Academy.
2010: Releases a novel, Inheritance.
2011: Attends Kate and Wills’ wedding.
2014: Weeps during Jeremy Kyle interview in June as she admits anxiety
has left her a virtual recluse. In August she reveals she has been diagnosed
with a form of autism.