A retired BBC worker who overcame depression by selling up and buying a motorhome says she is the happiest she has ever been.

Siobhan Daniels, from Tunbridge Wells, has shared her brave journey in a book depicting the highs and lows of travelling around the country after making the life-changing decision.

The 63-year-old describes how she felt "disillusioned with life" during her mid-fifties.

"I was beaten down by bereavement – both my brother and sister died at 53 from cancer," she explained. "I had to have a hysterectomy because of cancerous cells, and my mum was dying.

“I felt marginalised and voiceless at work, and also there was an ageist culture I didn’t like.

“So I wanted to live life on my terms, and the way to do it was to retire and find another path."

Born and bred in Yorkshire, Siobhan moved to Tunbridge Wells to work at BBC South East.

She was a journalist and broadcast producer for 30 years until she retired in July 2019 at the age of 60.

Siobhan then made the spontaneous decision to sell her home, donate her possessions and buy a motorhome – despite never having spent time in one before.

She said: “The idea just popped into my head one day. I had loads of doubts, it was like a rollercoaster.

"Getting rid of my personal possessions was really hard – I threw them all into the middle of my sitting room and went through them bit by bit.

"I had to be ruthless, anything that was very special I took a photograph of."

Her motorhome – named 'Dora the Explorer' – set her back nearly £40,000, and includes central heating, a full-sized shower, toilet, fridge freezer and hob.

In September 2019, Siobhan set off on her journey, which has now successfully turned into more than three years of travelling across the country.

“When I turned the key in the ignition in the morning, I was crying and had goosebumps," she said.

"I was so scared initially driving the motorhome. I remember ringing up my brother crying as loads of cars piled up behind me.

"I’m a Yorkshire lass at heart, and that was the first place I headed for.

"When I saw the sunrise on the first campsite, I knew I had done the right thing."

So far, Siobhan's spent time living in Ireland for a month, working at a farm in Dorset, and travelling up to see her bucket-list destination: the Outer Hebrides.

She commented: “Dreams do come true, it really was better than I ever envisaged it would be.

“It’s just mind-blowingly beautiful, and so calm.

"I went swimming in the sea in March – everyone thought I was crazy."

She added: “My plan is to have no plan and go with the flow.

"I really don’t know where I will be staying. I think about where I haven't been and where I would like to go.

“During lockdown I was stuck in a field for five months. My pipes froze and I literally had to go out and collect snow in pans and boil it so that I could have strip washes and make cups of tea for three days.

“I loved it, I felt like I was Bear Grylls."

Now Siobhan is bringing out a new book, called Retirement Rebel, which discusses the highs and lows of her adventures across the UK.

"It's an inspirational story for young and old, to promote living life and ageing as positively as you can," she explained.

“I wanted to show you could live with very little – money-wise and material things – but still find that happy place.

“I felt suicidal in my mid-fifties, and now I’m genuinely the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.

"I know so many women feel the same, and I want to help them on that journey.”

Retirement Rebel is now out on Amazon.