Sam Bailey reveals heartbreak of son's autism diagnosis: 'He threatened to take his own life!'

Sam Bailey's son threatened to take his own life after he was diagnosed with autism.

The 'X Factor' winner, 46, has Brooke, 17, Tommy, 14, and nine-year-old Miley with husband Craig Pearson and revealed that after her son was diagnosed with the neurodevelopmental disorder, he endured a "difficult" transition from primary to secondary school and she ended up going to the doctors for advice after his mental health plummeted.

Speaking on GB News, she explained: "I knew the transition from primary school to secondary school was going to be difficult for him. And I think as parents we were kind of in denial that there was anything untoward that was different or anything and we were told that he would really struggle and to get a diagnosis. I actually went private to get his diagnosis and by doing that it was a quicker process, but after that diagnosis was the hard part because you have to kind of prove that he can't be in a mainstream school.

"He just festered at home and put on weight. He was threatening to take his life. So it was a really, really tough time and I went to the doctors on my own and said to the doctors, I'm really concerned about my son. I said I'm really concerned about my son, because of how he's been."

The musical theatre actress claimed that her son was "turned away" by the GP and was left "absolutely baffled" when she was told to go to the National Autistic Society for help.

She said: "There needs to be autism outreach and they turned me away. I've got a letter to say that the GP turned my son away because he was feeling low and told us to go to the National Autistic Society. I was absolutely baffled by it."