When Debbi first met Steve in 2011, she believed she had found her soulmate. She felt like her search for true love was finally over. However, what started as a passionate romance quickly turned into something more complicated.
Debbi’s extreme jealousy, and the steps she took to ensure Steve remained loyal, shocked many people.
Jealousy can be a powerful emotion, one that many people feel from time to time.
But for some, it’s not just a passing feeling; it becomes an overwhelming obsession that dominates their life. Debbi, who had always been a little jealous, found her jealousy escalating to dangerous heights over the years.
It all began in 2011 when Debbi and Steve met through a mutual friend on Facebook. After weeks of messages, Debbi flew from Scotland to London for their first date. “I knew we were meant to be a couple when we shared our first kiss under London Bridge,” Debbi recalled.
“I didn’t mean to fall in love again after my last relationship, but Steve stole my heart.” From that moment, their relationship blossomed. They made plans to live together and even discussed marriage.
Debbi felt at home with Steve. “Well, when you’ve got a good man, you’re not going to let him go, are you?” she said during an interview with ITV’s This Morning. However, something deep within her began to shift. Her jealousy grew stronger as time passed, especially after her past heartbreak.
Debbi was diagnosed with Othello Syndrome, a rare psychiatric disorder that makes people believe their partners are being unfaithful—even without any proof. This diagnosis changed everything. Her jealousy transformed from a simple feeling into an obsession that controlled her every move.
At first, her jealousy wasn’t so extreme. “I was just your average jealous woman,” Debbi admitted. But after being cheated on in her previous relationship, she became consumed by fear and suspicion.
She felt that every little moment Steve spent away from her was an opportunity for him to betray her. This belief drove her to take drastic actions—actions that would challenge their relationship to its core.
Debbi began making Steve take lie detector tests every time he came home. She needed reassurance, something that would prove he had been faithful. At one point, Steve shared with the hosts of This Morning that the lie detector tests had decreased significantly over time.
“They’re used far less now,” he explained. “It used to be that we’d do them every week, but now it’s once in a blue moon.”
However, Steve’s life was still tightly controlled. He enjoyed watching sports, but Debbi made sure his viewing habits were monitored carefully. Even when he was watching football or formula racing, Debbi would check to make sure he wasn’t staring at women in the crowd.
“I know women have inner beauty,” Debbi explained. “But for men, it goes beyond that. Lusting after a woman mentally is something else.”
Debbi’s jealousy grew so intense that sometimes she would ban Steve from watching television at all. One night, an advertisement for a women’s razor appeared on the screen, and Debbi’s panic set in. “I started to think Steve was eyeing up the model in the commercial,” she confessed.
Her jealousy became so consuming that she even ordered a lie detector online to test Steve’s loyalty.
Her fears didn’t stop there. Debbi went so far as to install child-proof filters on Steve’s phone and laptop to prevent him from viewing any explicit content. When they first moved in together, Debbi’s paranoia escalated.
“If Steve went out for just 15 minutes to buy milk, he would have to take a lie detector test when he returned,” she revealed. “I’d worry that he’d been checking out the shop assistant. I just had to know the truth.”
In one particularly intense moment, captured in a Only Human documentary in January 2019, Debbi took a lie detector test on her phone after a simple trip to the shop. “Did you notice any women in the store?” she asked Steve, to which he replied, “Can’t say as I did.
No.” Relieved, Debbi said, “I’m impressed you’re telling the truth.” But when she asked him if he found Mel B attractive, Steve’s negative response was considered a lie by the app. She made him retake the test over and over, each time accusing him of lying.
“The app’s at least 60% accurate,” Debbi explained, “and it uses a polygraph.”
On top of her Othello Syndrome, Debbi also struggled with bipolar disorder and body dysmorphia, which made her emotions even harder to control. These conditions added more layers of complexity to her already difficult relationship with Steve.
The jealousy, combined with her other mental health challenges, made life feel like an emotional rollercoaster.
Things worsened when they moved in together. Debbi started keeping tabs on Steve’s online activity, even banning him from watching any television shows with women in them. “One time, an ad for a women’s razor came on, and I felt panicked thinking Steve was staring at the model,” she said. “It was so bad, I ordered another lie detector to test him.”
In 2015, Debbi appeared in a Channel 5 documentary called 87 Stone: Fat Chance of Work, but she later claimed that it misrepresented her. “The documentary focused too much on my weight and not enough on the real struggles I face,” she said. This portrayal led to online abuse and threats, isolating her even further.
Despite the challenges, Debbi and Steve have found ways to cope. Gaming became a way for Debbi to manage her jealousy and focus on something else. “Spending so much time on the Xbox has helped me get some control over my jealousy,” she said. “It allows my mind to focus elsewhere rather than obsessing over Steve.”
Research suggests that about 15% of people with Othello Syndrome have been violent toward their partners, and Debbi was no exception. “My jealousy has pushed me to the breaking point,” she admitted. “Sometimes, I’ve thrown things across the room.
I’ve put Steve through a lot, but he’s always stood by me. I know he’s the man for me.”
She added, “I think a lot of women must be suffering from the same condition without realizing it. It’s the pressure society puts on us to look a certain way that makes it even harder. I’m lucky that Steve understands me—others might not be so fortunate.”
Steve, for his part, acknowledged the difficulties in their relationship but insisted that Debbi was worth it. “Sometimes, I get nervous when the lie detector results come back inconclusive because my heart is racing,” he said. “I just have to tell her I haven’t cheated and hope she believes me.
But I know we’re soulmates, and a bit of jealousy won’t change that.”
Debbi has also sought gastric band surgery to improve her physical well-being and boost her confidence. “I have a small frame, but I’ve gained an extra ten or eleven stone,” she explained. “This surgery will help me feel better physically and mentally, and I’ll be able to enjoy life more with Steve.”
As for the future, Debbi remains hopeful. She continues to work through her challenges, knowing that she has Steve by her side. “He’s my soulmate, and no amount of jealousy can change that,” she concluded.
