When Debbi met Steve back in 2011, she was convinced she’d found her happily ever after. But what began as a fairy-tale romance soon spiraled into something much darker—driven by intense jealousy that would shock even the most skeptical.
Jealousy, for most people, is a passing emotion. A fleeting shadow that drifts in and out of relationships. But for Debbi, it took root—and grew into an obsession that would test the very foundation of their marriage.
Determined to never be deceived, Debbi turned to a drastic and highly controversial solution: she began making Steve take a lie detector test every single time he walked through the door.
Debbi and Steve Wood’s love story began in 2011, when fate—and Facebook—brought them together. While living in her hometown in Scotland, Debbi connected with Steve through a mutual friend online. What started as a few casual messages quickly turned into something deeper.
After weeks of late-night chats and growing chemistry, Debbi took a leap of faith and traveled to London to meet him in person. That first date sealed their connection in the most romantic way possible.
“I knew we were meant to be when we shared our first kiss under London Bridge,” Debbi recalled. “I wasn’t looking to fall in love again after my last relationship—but Steve stole my heart.”
Their bond deepened fast. Before long, they were making plans to move in together, start a life, and build a future as husband and wife.
Debbi admits that she and Steve don’t always see eye to eye—but despite their differences, she felt an undeniable connection. He wasn’t perfect, but he made her feel something rare: safe, seen, and at home.
“When you’ve got a good man, you don’t let him go, do you?” she said with a smile during an interview on ITV’s This Morning. “He touched my heart in a way no one else ever has.”
But beneath the surface of Debbi and Steve’s love story, a much darker challenge began to emerge. Debbi’s intense jealousy—once manageable—grew into a powerful force that began to consume their relationship.
She was eventually diagnosed with Othello Syndrome, a rare psychiatric condition that causes obsessive and unfounded suspicions of infidelity. For Debbi, the fear of betrayal became overwhelming, driving her to take extreme and controversial actions.
“I used to be your average jealous woman,” she admits. But after enduring betrayal in a past abusive relationship, her trust issues escalated. One of the most shocking outcomes? Requiring Steve to take lie detector tests whenever she doubted his honesty.
While the idea might seem outlandish to most, Steve stood by her. In an interview on ITV’s This Morning, he assured viewers that the tests are now much less frequent than before. “What used to happen several times a week now happens maybe once a month—or even less. It’s more like once in a blue moon.”
Still, Steve’s daily life remains under strict watch. Despite his love for football and Formula 1 racing, even these innocent pastimes are monitored closely by Debbi—who checks to make sure he’s not looking at women in the audience.
At times, she’s gone so far as to ban television altogether.
“All women have an inner beauty,” Debbi explained, “but for a man, it goes beyond that… It’s not just admiration—it’s lust. And lust starts in the mind.”
A glimpse into Debbi Wood’s world reveals the full extent of her struggle with trust and control. In a video dated January 25, 2019—shared by Only Human Channel on Facebook—Debbi can be seen visibly agitated, her emotions boiling over. Her paranoia, fueled by her Othello Syndrome, has led her to impose a strict set of rules on her husband, Steve.
Determined to eliminate any possibility of temptation, Debbi went as far as installing child-lock filters on Steve’s phone and laptop—effectively cutting him off from any explicit or suggestive content.
Things took a turn for the worse when the couple first moved in together. Debbi’s jealousy escalated to the point where even the most mundane errands became suspect. “A quick trip to the shop for milk? That was enough to set me off,” Debbi admitted. “I get so worried he’s been eyeing up the shop assistant—I just have to know the truth.”
In the same Only Human documentary, the full extent of Debbi’s control is on display. After convincing her to step outside for the first time in eight months, Steve took her to a nearby shop. Upon returning home, she pulled out her phone—equipped with a lie detector app—and prepared to interrogate him.
“Did you notice any women in the shop?” she asked sternly.
Steve calmly replied, “Can’t say as I did. No.”
After a few tense moments, Debbi looked at the app’s results and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
“I’m impressed you’re telling the truth,” she said, her tone softening—but only slightly.
But not every lie detector session ended with reassurance. During one tense moment caught on camera, Debbi asked Steve a seemingly harmless question: Did he find Mel B attractive?
Steve denied it—but the app’s response was damning. It flagged his answer as a lie.
Unwilling to let it go, Debbi had him retake the test multiple times, each time growing more agitated and convinced he wasn’t being truthful. “You’re lying, Steve. Just admit it,” she snapped, eyes locked on the phone’s polygraph results.
Debbi defended the app’s accuracy, claiming it was “at least 60% reliable,” pointing out that it used polygraph-style technology to detect deception.
The challenges in their relationship go far beyond jealousy alone. In addition to Othello Syndrome, Debbi has also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and body dysmorphic disorder—a combination of mental health conditions that creates a storm of insecurity, emotional swings, and deep-seated trust issues.
Her struggles have earned her the nickname “the most jealous woman”—a title that might sound sensational, but one that reflects the painful complexity of her mental health battles and the toll they’ve taken on her marriage.
While Debbi had always struggled with jealousy, her feelings reached new heights after she and Steve moved in together. Her need to control every aspect of their relationship intensified, leading her to monitor his online activity closely—and even ban him from watching any content that featured women.
“One night, an advert for a women’s razor came on television, and I just panicked,” Debbi recalled. “I thought Steve might be eyeing up the model. It set me off, and I couldn’t shake the feeling.”
Her jealousy consumed her thoughts, driving her to even more extreme measures. In a desperate attempt to ensure Steve’s loyalty, she ordered a lie detector online, hoping it would provide the truth she so desperately sought. “I needed to know if his eyes were wandering,” she explained, a sense of dread in her voice.
Debbi’s actions haven’t gone unnoticed. In 2015, she appeared in the Channel 5 documentary 87 Stone: Fat Chance of Work, a film that would later spark controversy. Debbi later claimed the documentary had misrepresented her, casting her struggles with jealousy and mental health in a way she felt was unfair and damaging.
Debbi was deeply hurt by the way the Channel 5 documentary portrayed her. She felt that instead of highlighting the real struggles of her mental health—her Othello Syndrome, bipolar disorder, and body dysmorphia—the documentary unfairly focused on her weight, turning it into the central narrative of her life. This skewed portrayal led to a flood of online abuse and threats, pushing Debbi into a state of isolation and anxiety.
“I looked like I was just bossing Steve around,” Debbi said, her voice tinged with frustration. “But the truth is, he’s been my rock. He’s been helping me through the toughest time of my life.”
Debbi described how everything had been sensationalized, with the documentary painting a picture of her as controlling and irrational, rather than showing her vulnerability. “I’ve had vile threats on social media and constant abuse. It’s made me not want to leave the house,” she admitted, visibly shaken by the toll it’s taken on her mental health. Despite all of this, Debbi firmly believes that her extreme actions are a necessity in order to maintain her peace of mind.
Though their relationship has been tested by Debbi’s jealousy and emotional turmoil, the couple has found ways to cope. One of the unexpected sources of relief has been gaming. Debbi credits their shared Xbox time as an outlet for her, allowing her mind to focus on something else rather than spiraling into obsessive thoughts about Steve.
“Spending so much time gaming has really helped me get control over my jealousy,” she shared. “When I’m immersed in a game, my mind is focused elsewhere, and I can stop obsessing over what Steve might be doing.”
Research suggests that around 15% of individuals with Othello Syndrome may resort to violence due to their overwhelming jealousy, though Debbi has never crossed that line. However, she openly acknowledges that her jealousy has driven her to extreme emotional states, at times pushing her to the brink.
“My jealousy has pushed me to breaking point,” she admitted. “There have been times I’ve thrown things across the room. I know I’ve put Steve through a lot, but he’s stood by me. That’s how I know he’s the man for me.”
Debbi is also aware that her struggles aren’t unique. “I think a lot of women out there are suffering from the same condition and just don’t realize it,” she said thoughtfully. “There’s so much pressure from society to look a certain way, and it messes with your mind. I’m lucky that Steve understands me—others might not be so fortunate.”
Steve, for his part, acknowledges the difficulty of living with Debbi’s condition but insists that she’s worth it. “Life with Debbi isn’t always easy,” he said. “But I love her, and I’m in it for the long haul.”
Steve, despite the ongoing challenges of their relationship, remains unwavering in his commitment to Debbi. “Sometimes, when the lie detector test results come back inconclusive, it’s because I’m so nervous my heart’s racing,” he shared. “That makes Debbi doubt me even more. All I can do is tell her the truth—that I haven’t cheated—and hope she believes me. It’s not easy, but I’m willing to put up with it. Because I know we’re soulmates. She’s everything to me. A little jealousy here and there—it won’t change that.”
While the lie detector tests are a constant source of tension, Debbi is also working toward building her confidence in other areas of her life. Struggling with her self-image, she has decided to pursue gastric band surgery, hoping the NHS will fund the procedure. “I have a small frame—I wasn’t always overweight,” Debbi explained. “But now, this small frame is carrying an extra ten or eleven stone, more than it should.”
For Debbi, the surgery represents more than just a physical transformation. She believes it will improve her overall well-being, boost her confidence, and allow her to enjoy life to the fullest. “I want to feel good about myself, to feel healthy again,” she said. “I want to be able to enjoy life with Steve and regain some sense of normalcy. That’s all I really want.”