Celebrity doctor Andrew Rochford swapped privilege for poverty as one of five A-listers in the new season of SBS’s Filthy Rich & Homeless.
WATCH: Prince William spends day serving food at homeless charity
Now, he tells New Idea what it was like trading in the secure life he loves – a big house, happy marriage and three young kids – for 10 days sleeping rough.
The high-profile doctor admits that prior to this experience, homelessness wasn’t something he spent much time thinking about.
“Like a lot of us, I was blissfully naive and comfortable in a world where I didn’t want to be uncomfortable and learn about it,” he concedes.
“I thought about what I understood about homelessness and I really didn’t have a good answer. I was embarrassed that I knew so little about how it affected people.”
The show was an opportunity to “submerge” himself in what it meant to be on the streets.
The experiment also includes model Ellie Gonsalves, comedian Ciaran Lyons, Melbourne deputy lord mayor Arron Wood and restaurateur Pauline Nguyen.
We see Andrew dumpster-diving or begging for food, sleeping on the streets or at shelters, but while the daily reality was tough, he learned more than he ever anticipated through his interactions with homeless people.
“The hardest bit for me was just how humbling it is for people that have next to nothing to be so generous and caring about you when they have so many other issues in their world to care about,” he says.
Andrew says he “pushed down” emotions during shooting, however, with hindsight, he now recognises the effect the ordeal had on him.
“Reflecting back on it, there were a lot of moments where I felt pretty deep sadness and despair, not for myself, but for the vulnerability of the people opening up to me. There were some pretty wild nights, and they were especially hard for the kids [because] they worried about me,” he says.
“But I hope they were also proud of the fact that I was willing to do that.”
As the COVID-19 crisis continues to ravage the world, Andrew trusts that the collective experience will encourage individuals to empathise with those less fortunate than themselves.
“These types of situations impact the vulnerable more than anybody, whether that’s the elderly, those on the cusp of homelessness or those reliant on government payments,” he explains.
“In a worldwide pandemic where there is loss of income, mental health [repercussions] and increased domestic violence, it’s a great example for all of us – that the arrogance to think we couldn’t find ourselves in that situation is ill informed.”
While he’s now back at home, Andrew says the experience will stay with him forever, and he is determined to spread the word.
“I didn’t realise how much of an impact on my mental health it would have. It really broke me open at a few points, [but] I am glad for that – I learnt more.”
“We need to recognise that anyone being homeless is unacceptable and we need to come up with proper solutions, not just bandaids.”
For more, pick up the latest issue of New Idea. Out now!
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