The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey has revealed they suffer from a severe mental health condition that left them unable to go outside “for months” as everything was viewed as a “threat”.
The British actor is best known for playing the lead character Ellie in the hit post-apocalyptic video game series, which is currently airing its second season on Now TV.
Speaking on the first episode of the fifth season of The Louis Theroux Podcast, the 21-year-old opened up about their emetophobia disorder which is a fear of vomiting or seeing others vomit.
According to the NHS, the phobia impacts around 8 per cent of people in the UK and can cause anxiety and obsessive behaviour.
Ramsey said that their condition became so severe that they were left housebound when they were around 13 years old.
“Everything was a threat. You go out and it’s like you see germs, you see sickness everywhere. Terrifying. Every memory that I have of vomit, since nursey, is scary. I remember every single time anyone in my life has ever felt sick or been sick near me,” Ramsey added.
Ramsey admitted that their fear is “irrational” and began from a very young age.
The actor added that although there was a time in their life when they would “rather die than throw up”, being diagnosed with autism helped them come to terms with the phobia.
“Not all people who have autism or are on the autistic spectrum have emetophobia, but when I got that diagnosis, so much in my life made sense and so much of my experience growing up,” Ramsey explained. “It’s helpful for me every day, having that understanding.”
Ramsey revealed their autism diagnosis in March 2024, stating that a crew member with a neurodivergent child noticed similar behaviours in Ramsey, which led the actor to seek a formal diagnosis.
“I’ve spoken a bit about neurodivergence before, but I always for some reason didn’t want to… I felt like I didn’t want to say what it was… Shoot,” they told British Vogue.
“I got diagnosed with autism when I was filming season one of The Last of Us.”
Ramsey said the psychiatric assessment cleared up things they had “always wondered” about, whether it was feeling out of place at school or the sensory issues that came with the heavy outerwear and thermals they wore while filming in the cold.
The NHS notes that emetophobia can worsen if not treated and can cause weight loss or injuries. It is also highly co-morbid with other anxiety-related disorders such as OCD and panic.
Fresh evidence suggests that Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is effective in treating emetophobia and can make the problem less chronic. Those experiencing the problem over a longer period may require more intensive treatment.
