Olympian Freddie Woodward was 'hooked on porn for 10 years'

A former Team GB diver said he was left feeling "dirty" after he became hooked on online pornography as a child.

Freddie Woodward, who competed at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, said at the height of his addiction he sometimes visited adult websites multiple times a day.

Today, the 30-year-old, from Sheffield, is calling for better education around porn addiction - which is not "shame-based, but honest and evidence-led". He said he hoped speaking out would encourage others to seek help.

In June, the government said tech companies like Apple and Google must install software to prevent children from taking, sending or viewing sexually explicit images on their phones and other devices.

Woodward said his diving career was mapped out from the age of seven, when talent-spotters from City of Sheffield Diving Club visited his primary school in Millhouses.

"I couldn't kick a football to save my life, so it seemed a really good fit. I took to it immediately," he said.

By secondary school, Woodward, who grew up in Ecclesall, was competing internationally and training 20 hours a week in the pool and gym at Ponds Forge Sports Centre.

He said it was around this time that he discovered internet porn. By the age of 12, was regularly viewing what he describes as "hardcore" sites.

"I'm the first generation to have had access to high-speed internet porn.

"I realised I had a problem when it came to homework and exams, like GCSEs and A Levels. Every time I sat down to revise, all I wanted to do was open those sites."

Woodward's parents divorced when he was seven. Both played an active role in his upbringing, but he thinks they were unaware of the extent of his pornography use.

He thinks most parents assume boys, in particular, may come across porn in their teenage years "but it's a difficult conversation to have".

By the time he was 20, Woodward had won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, was a Junior European silver medallist, and had achieved his childhood dream of representing Great Britain at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

But, as his career soared, so did his porn use. He recalled visiting adult websites every day, and on one occasion, "10 times in a day".

"If I'd had a bad training session, it was always the thing I could turn to," he said.

Around the same time, he also started sharing nude videos and photographs of himself with strangers, on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, because it gave him "more of a thrill".

"I was doing something clearly irresponsible, but I didn't care," he said.

But it was not long before those images were leaked on the internet.

Woodward only found out when his girlfriend at the time, who lived overseas, called to confront him and end their relationship.

"I was so embarrassed and crushed. I just didn't know how to deal with it.

"The worst part was, I still couldn't quit porn. I couldn't stop."

He said the addiction started to severely impact his mental health, likening it to carrying around a "huge ball of shame".

After six years trying to overcome his addiction, the athlete finally broke the habit last year. He realised he needed to change his mindset from being someone trying to quit porn to "someone who doesn't watch porn".

Since retiring from competitive diving, Woodward has been travelling around the world making social media videos about food and culture with his girlfriend, Chika Izumi - a former artistic swimmer on Japan's national team.

The couple met seven years ago on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, where they were working as aquatic performers.

"I was like 'OK, I guess there's a problem' - but I didn't go against it," she said. "I was just neutral about it."

When asked if she was worried about him sharing his story, she said she supported him "100%".

"I'm so proud of him, honestly - and I'm so glad he did it.

"I know he's going to help so many boys and men. I can't believe how brave he is, to talk to the world."

The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) said it had seen a significant rise in people seeking help for out-of-control porn use.

In a survey of 3,000 of its members, 53% of those who work with men said they were seeing more pornography-related cases.

Psychotherapist Dr Paula Hall set up the Laurel Centre, a specialist sex and porn addiction centre in Leamington Spa, 15 years ago.

"It is undoubtedly a problem that's exploding in society, and we're struggling to know how to contain it," she said.

Dr Hall said one of the challenges was society's reluctance to talk about it and recognise when viewing porn moved into the realms of addictive behaviour.

"We need resources out there to help people if it's getting in the way of their relationships or studies," she said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "It is troubling to hear accounts of individuals becoming addicted to pornography at such a young age.

"It reinforces the importance of the online safety laws we have put in place to prevent children from accessing harmful content. "

If you have been affected by the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.