BBC Breakfast visitor breaks down in tears recounting how aged father was conned out of £300k after Parkinson’s medicine made him ‘hypersexual with poor impulse management’

A heartbroken BBC Breakfast guest broke down in tears as he explained how his father was conned out of a staggering £300,000. 

Robbie appeared on the show to highlight the potentially devastating side effects of Parkinson’s medication, which a new BBC investigation has discovered can cause impulsive gambling and sexual behaviour. 

The UK drug regulator is now being called upon to make pharmaceutical companies issue explicit warnings that impulsive behaviour can be a side effect of the medication. 

The show then cut to a prerecorded interview with Freddie, who bravely opened up about his father’s experience of hypersexuality after going on medication for Parkinson’s disease. 

Freddie said: ‘He was an incredibly straight-laced, risk-averse person. He worked as a teacher his whole career and then, aged 54, retired early. 

‘He’d developed some symptoms around his movement and speech, and went on to medication shortly after.’

The bereaved son said that after going on dopamine-increasing medication, which was meant to help manage his father’s Parkinson’s symptoms, his behaviour drastically changed.

He began to drive recklessly and openly watch pornography – and eventually, he sold the family home. 

Freddie admitted that his ‘heart sank’ when his father explained what he had done with the money from the house sale.  

He recalled: ‘He said it’s invested. [I asked], “Okay, where?” [He said it was] in Ghana. My heart just totally sank. 

‘These side effects of severe impulse control disorder, hypersexuality made dad the perfect victim for a romance scam.’ 

Freddie, who was visibly emotional, explained that neither he or his father were aware of the potential side effects of the Parkinson’s medication.

By the time he realised what was going on in 2017, his father, who has since passed away, had lost a staggering £300,000. 

Eventually breaking down in tears, Freddie admitted: ‘The money was of total insignificance to the pain of losing dad.’ 

BBC correspondent Noel Titheradge said: ‘Our investigations heard from scores of families who say these impulsive behaviours have led to huge debts, the break up of families and even criminality. 

‘One man stole £600,000 to fund his impulsive behaviour. Another woman lost over £150,000 to gambling.’

He added: ‘Manufacturers of the drugs say they were extensively trialled, continue to be approved by regulators around the world, and side effects are clearly stated.’

Robbie said that the potentially devastating impact of the drugs – and the failure for this to be made explicit to users – is a ‘massive scandal’.

He admitted: ‘I dread to think how many people have been impacted.’ 

Breakfast airs daily on BBC One from 6am and is available to stream on iPlayer.