2/2025 "
I was exiled from my strict Jehovah's Witness community after I broke a major convention - they'll never speak to me again. Daily Mail
"A former Jehovah's Witness has shared her extraordinary journey of leaving behind everything she knew after falling in love with a colleague at TK Maxx.
Madison Wilford, now 22, was born into the religious community, but a life-changing relationship at the age of 18 led her to break free from the strict rules and expectations she had grown up with.
The turning point came when Madison, from Broughton, North Wales, developed feelings for Josh, 21, who she met while working together at the retail store.
The pair secretly dated for a year, keeping their relationship hidden from Madison's family.
However, their secret was soon uncovered when Madison's family found text messages on her phone - which led to her being exiled from the Jehovah's Witness community.
Madison explained: 'I wasn't allowed to be with anyone from outside of the religion. If I wanted to be with Josh, I had to walk away from everything.'
She chose to leave her family and her home behind and 'start life again,' a decision that would come with many unprecedented struggles.
Madison recalled how difficult it was to adjust to life outside of the religious community, adding: 'It was very hard at first.
'After growing up in the community, I didn't know anything about the world or how to make friends or even speak to people normally outside of it.'
After the couple's relationship became public knowledge, Madison moved in with Josh's grandparents in North Wales until they could save enough money to rent a place of their own.
At first, Josh's family struggled to accept Madison, having heard negative things about Jehovah's Witnesses but, over time, his grandparents and mother welcomed her into their lives.
Madison, who now lives with Josh in Chester, reflected on the toll her upbringing in the Jehovah's Witness community had on her mental health.
Jehovah's Witnesses are known for their door-to-door evangelising, and their belief that humanity is living in the final days before Armageddon.
As a child, she was expected to spend up to 50 hours a month knocking on doors and distributing religious leaflets, often facing hostility from the people she encountered - including being chased away with a hosepipe.
She recalled: 'I went preaching at least twice a week. As soon as I could walk and speak, I had to be the one to knock on the door and leave leaflets.
'It was very scary, especially as nine times out of ten people would obviously not like you knocking.
'We had lots of crazy experiences like people trying to squirt us with a hosepipe to get us off their driveway.
'I hated doing it as I was always very shy and speaking to random strangers about something you know they won’t be interested in is daunting.'
As a young girl, Madison was taught to believe that the world was doomed and that she had to be perfect to survive.
She said: 'From an early age, I felt like I had to be perfect, and that was really hard. I realised that this belief felt normal when I was inside the religion, but now I see that it's not.'
Everything changed for Madison when she met Josh, with the pair hitting it off straight away before starting to sneak off on dates during their lunch breaks.
Despite being forbidden from having a romantic relationship outside the faith, Madison claims Josh was 'really understanding' and, at one point, even considered joining the community for her.
She added: 'I knew he was a good person and he was worth leaving everything behind. I also couldn't cope in the religion anymore. It was so strict.'
When Madison made the difficult decision to leave her family and her faith, she hoped they might eventually accept her choice.
After months of therapy and adapting to life outside the Jehovah's Witness community, Madison feels 'free' (pictured recently)
She said: 'I tried to tell my family that I was the same person but I had to leave because of love. They said it was my decision but I would be cut off from their world.
'We were close, so I still have hope that they'll speak to me again some day but I don't think it will happen.'
Now, after months of therapy and adapting to life outside the Jehovah's Witness community, Madison feels 'free.'
She and Josh are building a life together in Chester, working at Waitrose and settling into a normal routine.
Madison added: 'I know that I made the right decision. Everything is going really well between us.
'The religion can be dangerous and I’m having therapy to help me deal with what I've been through.
'Thankfully, I'm getting a lot better at making friends and learning a lot about the world outside of the community. I feel free now.'
There are more than eight million Jehovah's Witnesses worldwide and 130,000 in the UK, using their glossy magazine The Watchtower and online videos to promote their message. The religion was founded in the 1870s by American preacher Charles Taze Russell on Christian principles, although it diverges from mainstream Christian churches.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that at the End of Days those who strive for goodness will inhabit a paradise on Earth.
In pursuit of goodness, they operate a strict moral code which rules out adultery, smoking, drinking, homosexuality, gluttony, and swearing. Most famously, they are banned from having blood transfusions.
In recent years the global organization has faced questions about how it handles allegations of child sex abuse and its child protection practices."