Tonight on 20/20 ` The death of a 17-year-old NZer found dead... Now, Emily Longley's body was found in this house... Police are investigating the unexplained death. You've probably heard about Emily Longley from the news, but tonight you'll hear from those that loved her. She was just so full of love. Every day you wake up knowing Emily's not there any more. This is Emily's story. Little Miss books she loved. Little Miss Naughty and Little Miss Fun. Imagine if everyday sounds sent you into a rage. Her condition has become so desperate she has attempted suicide three times. Her biggest trigger is the sound of her mother's voice. Can you give me a list of things your mum can't do around you? Eat, chew, breathe heavily. Taylor suffers from misophonia, and she's not alone. And we talk to Billy Gardell from the hit show Mike and Molly. I'm 42 years old and, you know, I'm a fat guy in the middle of a romantic lead. I don't really have a lot to complain about. Captions by TVNZ Access Services Captions were made possible with funding from NZ On Air. Copyright TVNZ Access Services 2012 Kia ora. I'm Sonya Wilson. Emily Longley ` you've heard her name, seen her face in the news. Two weeks ago, Elliot Turner was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to 16 years. For the last couple of months, 20/20 has spent time with Emily's parents, Mark and Caroline. So much has been said about their daughter, not all of it true. And that's why they wanted to speak to 20/20 ` to show us the real Emily. Here's Emma Keeling with Emily's story. POIGNANT MUSIC Everything in this room has meaning. Everything. We've left it pretty much as she left it ` um,... (TEARFULLY) same sheets on the bed, her pyjamas are still there, flowers from her coffin stay there. Little Miss books she loved. Little Miss Naughty and Little Miss Fun. She loved... having fun. The bedroom where her daughter should be ` Emily Longley, murdered at just 17 ` Mystery surrounds the death of a 17-year-old found dead in Britain. Emily Longley's body was found in this house... Police are investigating the unexplained death... her teen life ended so tragically. To lose a child is` is the most appalling thing, but to lose your child at another's hand is just inconceivable. It's just been horrific. It's just every day you wake up knowing that Emily's not here anymore. DARK MUSIC For the last year, Mark Longley has been thinking about the man who killed his eldest daughter. Any idea how you'll feel or what you'll do when you see Elliott Turner? I'd like 10 minutes alone with him, definitely. He killed my daughter, yeah, in a particularly cowardly way,... and I'd like to let him know how I feel about that. ENGINE WHIRRS I'm filming, Ems. To us she's the beautiful blonde girl on the news. MARK LAUGHS (LAUGHS) That thing will fall apart. So much has been said, but this time it will be said by her parents. It's so loud. It's so loud. I know! This is Emily's story. This is our baby. She came on the 22nd of February on a snowy winter night in England. She was given to me, and I` I can still remember it. She was giving me this really deep, intense stare, and it was beautiful. She used to look at me the same way later on, and it was, like, 'I don't care what you say. I'm going to go and do it anyway.' (LAUGHS) ROCK MUSIC Just a happy girl and made people feel good about themselves, to be honest. She` She had a wicked sense of humour, and she was always laughing. A shy child, she grew up fast. She was 14, she was playing tennis after school, and she was 15 going into town. It was just... You just kind of dealt with it as it happened. At 5'9", she looked older and was always pushing the boundaries. You knew she was going to bars. What did you do? I think she was 15, and she` I'd find out she'd been to a bar in Fort St, and she ` she'd hate me telling this story ` but I took a picture of her to ` I think the owner or the manager ` and said, 'You've been letting this girl into your club on Saturday nights. 'If you let her in again, I'm gonna tell the police that she's only 15.' And so Emily was mortified, actually. So discipline, grounding her didn't do any good? Oh, it did for a while, yeah. Yeah, but she was grounded till she was about 23, so... (LAUGHS) it starts losing its effect after a while, yeah. She'd say, 'Mum, I just want to have fun.' And I'd say, 'Yes, darling, but you know, there's a time and a place for fun.' The thing was, she was only 16. She was too young, I thought, to be doing that. But I never thought, 'I've got an out-of-control teenager.' SIREN WAILS Cause of death is undetermined. Anyone who witnessed anything suspicious... When Emily died, a different girl was portrayed in the media. Reports quoted each other and so-called friends saying she was in with a bad crowd and was sent to England. This has been an area that I would like to clarify. We did not send her to England. Frustrated, the Longleys couldn't reveal the truth. We were asked by the police not to say anything and not to speak about what had happened to Emily. So we had to keep quiet, and we were unable to defend our daughter, and it was very very hard for us as parents to` to keep quiet and not jump in there and say, 'That's a lie. That's a lie,' when some of the` the reporting was absolutely appalling. Born in London, Emily was 9 when the family moved to NZ. But she wanted to go back to England to attend Brockenhurst College and study business. Emily had always struggled at school. She` She wasn't` She was one of those kids that didn't fit in with the school system. I think she just recognised it was a good opportunity for her. She set up an interview and was offered a place. We didn't send our child halfway around the world. And I thought it was really unfair on Emily because she` she had made this decision, and she had our support. And I think just to flippantly say we sent her over there because she got in with a bad crowd just detracted from something I was really proud of her for doing. Half of me was... really excited for her and so proud of her that she'd achieved that, and half of me was, 'I don't want her to go. I don't want her to go.' I just don't want her to go, be apart from us at the age of 16. But you don't deny your child an opportunity like that, so we let her go, and we wish` we wish we'd never let her go, and she might still be here with us now. (SOBS) Did you think she'd be safe in England? I was naturally concerned that, as any parent would be, that she's so far away from me. Certainly nothing on the` to the degree of what happened, though. I didn't in a million years think she's be murdered. Elliott Turner was introduced by a mutual friend. I feel, with Elliot, he was very controlling of her. I remember she told me that they'd been out to a restaurant and she had arrived wearing some trousers and some little brogues from Topshop. And he didn't like it. He told her to change them, and he bought her these, you know girly, girly shoes. And that's something that, as a mother, I` I was very keen to tell Emily never to let anyone control you. I think he spoilt her. I think she quite liked being with him for a while. But she` There was nothing serious. They started their rocky relationship in March last year. Only a few weeks later, Emily went home for holiday. The change that I saw in Emily when she came back last Easter was unbelievable. She had completely metamorphosised into this beautiful, gorgeous young adult who I barely recognised, to be honest. Oh my God. Oh my God. GIRLS LAUGH She loved it there so much. She loved it there so much. Yeah, she was the happiest she'd ever been. Yeah, you're right. It's five weeks before the trial. It was you, Paige, Amber, Emily. Emily's old school friends have dropped in to Caroline's place. Literally she'd walk in the room and I'd be laughing the second she walked in the room cos she'd do something or, you know, trip over. cos she'd do something or, you know, trip over. < Do` Do an Emily. Yeah. Exactly. She'd changed so much. I think I was just proud of her for how she'd taken the opportunity and really turned it into something and changed her life around, cos she didn't have to, but she... decided to. Yeah, she chose to. For three weeks, Emily spent every day with her family. And she was so full of love, and she` she would just come up to me and give me such a big hug. There was a trip to town with Mum. She really wanted this pair of Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses. I took a deep breath, and... 'OK. OK.' And she just loved those glasses. And I'm so pleased that I bought them for her, because they were extremely expensive, and I thought, 'Oh my God, have to do a lot of overtime to pay for these.' But I-I never` I'll never have the chance to buy her another birthday present. SOFT ROCK MUSIC That Easter, Emily and little sister Hannah went to visit their dad in Whakatane. Mark shows me around Ohope Beach, where he took endless photos of his girls together for the last time. Emily was so relaxed. She was joking around like she was a kid again. Hannah was giving her a piggyback, and at one point I was a bit ahead of them, and I looked back and saw them walking and talking. It was as if Emily had never been away. She just seemed so happy and so relaxed. I took these pictures ` probably the last pictures I ever took of her. That's not now how it should` That's not the last time I-I saw her. Shouldn't have been left like that. It was too quick. Sorry, can we just stop...? Sorry, can we just stop...? Yeah, sure. > At the end of April, Emily flew back to England. A week later, she was dead. Coming up ` Caroline and Mark Longley talk about the night their daughter Emily was murdered. He said, 'Are you sitting down?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'I'm afraid I've got the worst news a parent could ever want to hear.' And I just heard Hannah sobbing down the phone, and I could just hear Caroline in the back screaming, 'Emily's dead! Emily's dead!' RHYTHMIC CLAPPING CLAPPING SPEEDS UP Write your own rules. Set your own goals. And every chance you get,... (WHISTLES) ...play until the sun goes home. Yeah! Here's to playing. Every day. Milo ` the official drink of play. Join the conversation online. Now, Emily Longley's body was found in this house... 1 Welcome back. You now know more about who Emily Longley really was. Now her parents, Mark and Caroline, take us through the last harrowing year and the day her murderer was found guilty. DARK MUSIC These are some of the last images of Emily Longley alive, before Elliot Turner killed her. He wouldn't let her go. He constantly pursued her, and the night she died, she sent me a text saying, 'I'm breaking up from Elliot,' and I-I was` I thought, 'I thought you'd already broken up with him.' And I said, you know, 'Why is that, darling?' She said, 'Because he's threatening my relationship with Carla,' who's her best friend in England. And I-I said to her if he's behaving like this now, it's only gonna get worse, but we'll talk about this tomorrow when you ring me on Mother's Day. Just hours later, she got a text from Emily's grandparents in England, asking her to call. So you can imagine my shock and horror and disbelief when the next voice was a police officer saying, you know, 'This is so and so from the Dorset police. And... I was waiting, and he said, 'Are you on your own?' And I` The blood was starting to rush from me by now, and I said, 'Yes.' He said, 'Are you sitting down?' I said, 'No.' He said, 'I'm afraid I've got the worst news a parent could ever want to hear. 'Your daughter has been involved in a homicide, and two men have been arrested 'and are helping police with their enquiries.' At that stage, I didn't` I didn't want to hear any more. I thought, 'If I don't let it go in, it won't be true.' So I threw the phone across the room and I just threw myself on the ground, and I started screaming and screaming and screaming. I felt like someone had put their hand into my inner core and ripped out my soul. For a mother to hear that news about your daughter, it's` it is unbelievable. It's unbelievable. And all I could think of was, 'Ems, we can't help you now. 'We can't help you. We can't protect you anymore.' Mark woke up around 2am and saw the missed calls. I phoned up the` the answer machine, and I just heard Hannah sobbing down the phone, and I could just hear Caroline in the back, screaming that 'Emily's dead! Emily's dead!' I couldn't believe it. I thought, 'No, she's` No, they've got it wrong.' The shocks kept coming. Two months after Emily's death, Turner was charged with murdering her at his house. It took another two months for Emily's body to be released. Instead of going to the Arrivals hall to see her, going to Emirates cargo building and seeing this little forklift truck come out with this mini container on it. And the funeral director, who was waiting there, said, 'Emily's in there.' The coffin was in a box, and they unloaded the container and loaded her in the back of the hearse. And they called us over to... see her, and I just put my arms around this box. I couldn't believe that my daughter was coming home in a box. As they gathered for Emily's funeral, the Longleys were a long way from getting answers. At what point did it finally register she was gone? I don't think it still has now. There's been all these things that we've got to get through before I think we can really deal with mourning Emily. Yeah, I don't think we` (CLEARS THROAT) Each-Each one requires a level of strength. Winchester, England, April 20th ` the month-long trial of Elliot Turner begins. REPORTER: Emily Longley was strangled by her jealous boyfriend... Turner's pleaded not guilty to murdering the 17-year-old... ...fantasised about killing the aspiring model... ...to discuss killing Emily Longley by setting her on fire, drowning her or strangling her. ...told a neighbour, 'I think he's going to kill Emily.' Weekends provide a brief escape from the sinister details. TRANQUIL MUSIC It's nice to have somewhere to come. In a church garden in Bournemouth, there's a memorial to Emily. She's beautiful. It's just days before a verdict is given on Elliot Turner's guilt. The Longleys are exhausted. Wish I could just give her another hug. Do you remember on that lawn we used to have a paddling pool? Do you remember on that lawn we used to have a paddling pool? Mm. Emily lived with her grandparents in Bournemouth. Memories of her are everywhere. it's a good place for the children to come ` the younger grandchildren ` because they don't` what they don't understand is` they keep asking, 'Where is she? Where has she gone?' Because the funeral was in NZ. It's special. It's special. Emily loved the garden. She used to cartwheel down the grass. Upstairs, Emily's old room is still a place where family can be with her. There's been, obviously, huge tragedy in this, but it's nice to come up here. It's away from all the... poison of the court case the terrible news, and it's... There's a deep connection with her up here. After a month of sitting in court and hearing the worst, the Longleys got the verdict they wanted. Guilty of murder ` 16 years' jail. 'Our daughter was murdered.' That was my first thought, 'Oh my God, she really was murdered.' It's two weeks later. The family's back in Auckland, still trying to make sense of it all. I think justice was served. Is it fair? It's not fair. Um... You know, he'll be out of prison one day. Questions still remain. If someone had just taken him seriously, Emily could still be alive today. It wasn't a random act of violence that killed her. It was a premeditated act by a man who was clearly deranged and disturbed, and his parents could've picked that up easily. Mark and his partner, Hilary, now head back home to Whakatane to find a new normal. Emily's missing from everything, and... whatever I do at the moment, I always think, 'There's just something missing here,' and that's just Emily. Emily smiles back from endless photos around the house, always there, watching, but just out of reach. She touched a lot of hearts, and she was a very special girl, and I'm very very proud to have been able to have called her my daughter. And, um, no wonder God wanted her back. She's very special. MARK LAUGHS Heartbreaking. If you want to leave a message of support for Emily's family, you can do so on our Facebook page. We're under 20/20 NZ. Next up on 20/20 ` a rare condition that's pulling one family apart. Taylor suffers from a mysterious condition called 'misophonia'. It means 'hatred of sound'. For Taylor, everyday noises like chewing, coughing and sniffling trigger emotions that bring her to the brink. Joe, you actually recorded her in one of these rages on your phone? Can you play it for me? TAYLOR SCREAMS: Oh, shut up! TAYLOR SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY, SCREAMS, CRIES Every day you wake up knowing Emily's not there any more. 1 Welcome back. Taylor is a 14-year-old who has attempted suicide twice due to misophonia. Now, that is a hatred of sounds, not loud or harsh sounds, but subtle, everyday and unavoidable sounds like chewing, swallowing, talking and even breathing. Taylor's biggest trigger is her own mother. She can fly in to a rage at something as simple as a cough. 20/20'S Elizabeth Vargas reports on a little known illness forcing a family apart. They are like strangers living in the same house. 14-year-old Taylor and her mother, Bernadette, eat meals in separate rooms. They share no activities. In fact, they do not even speak. EMOTIONALLY: I just wanna be able to say 'I love you', and I can't. But there's been no argument, no fall from grace. In fact, each considers the other to be their closest friend. I love her, and I hate that we can't do normal things. COUGHING, SLURPING No normal things because Taylor suffers from a mysterious condition called misophonia. It means 'hatred of sound'. For Taylor, everyday noises like chewing, coughing and sniffling trigger emotions that bring her to the brink. It's an almost indescribable amount of anger and rage that I just can't control. Thank you! Taylor was a happy, outgoing cheerleader and a straight-A student before this strange aversion to sound began. She was 8 years old when her life and her relationship with her mother was transformed with one simple noise. I coughed, and she covered her ears and she ran away. And then as time went on, she would then start to hit me. Would she say something, like 'stop'? Would she say something, like 'stop'? She'd say, 'Stop that.' Eventually, as years went on, her anger just escalated. The sound will replay in my mind until I get the anger out. To avoid hearing her mother, Taylor had to sit in a separate room during her family's interview. Her father, Joe, and sister, Alex, say they first reacted to her outbursts with alarm and disbelief. I guess I'd say I was one of the doubters. I thought, 'Come on, are you kidding me?' I was, like, 'Well, why can't you get over it?' You know? But they soon realised getting over it was not an option. Listen to Taylor's blood-curdling screams. Joe, you actually recorded her in one of these rages on your phone. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. Can you play it for me? > (TAYLOR) SCREAMS: Oh, shut up! TAYLOR SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY, SCREAMS, CRIES Oh my gosh. The rage is incredible. The rage is incredible. It's like a Jekyll and Hyde. TAYLOR SCREAMS What had you done to set that off? What had you done to set that off? Probably coughed. Sometimes now it can even be if I sigh. That... That... < Oh yeah. ...rage was just from a single cough or a sigh? ...rage was just from a single cough or a sigh? Mm-hm. And unbelievable as it seems, Taylor is not alone. ROCK MUSIC, SCREAMING Videos like these on YouTube recreate the inner agony caused by misophonia. We can see this same situation in hundreds of people, so you know it is a reality. Audiologist Marsha Johnson is one of the only experts who treats misophonia patients. Her online support group has more than 2000 members. Their triggers are all everyday, unavoidable noises. My main triggers are sniffling, chewing, breathing. It's S's, P's, K's. Hearing people sniff. When somebody's crunching on ice. For those of you who chew your gum and smack it and pop it and make... (IMITATES LOUD CHEWING) stop it. A student barely able to get through her college class. My thoughts really kind of scare me when I have my triggers. I feel very violent. The rage is almost unbearable. Many living in isolation, wondering what is wrong with them. I hate that I do it. It's just sad to me. For most people with misophonia, the worst triggers come from the people closest to them. That's the case for Taylor. Can you give me a list now of all the things that your mom can't do around you? Eat, chew, breathe heavily. What's the quietest sound your mom makes that-that still sets you off? Just a quiet breath. Like... (BREATHES GENTLY) Taylor hates the sound of her father's sniffles, but she can tolerate his voice. Here. That's led to a confusing array of diagnoses for Taylor in the family's quest for answers. We went to so many different doctors and they told her she was just being a brat, or they said, 'She's just trying to control you.' In fact, the condition has received so little research, most doctors have never even heard of it. We're sure there's a genetic link. I suspect it's some sort of neurological glitch in a very low level of the brain. You've described it as 'fight or flight'. Yep. In the same way that you might react if a yellowjacket stung you, you just... (SLAPS HAND) you have to get that away from you right now. It's very intense. To drown out noise Taylor constantly wears headphones, even in her sleep. Her condition has become so desperate that she's attempted suicide three times. (KISSES) 90% of my life is probably in my bedroom. With the door closed. With the door closed. Door closed. The only remnant of a normal teenage life is her obsession with the boy band One Direction. # You don't know you're beautiful. # Her music is the only sound that makes her smile. Taylor can't attend her regular high school. Instead, she goes to an alternative school with limited hours. Unable to speak to her own mother, she can't ride in the same car with her. The two communicate with a form of charades... Three squeezes ` 'I love you.' We know what it means. I love you too. (LAUGHS) ...and by passing notes. Saturday. Watch carefully as Taylor's face changes. Her mother has swallowed. Their conversation is over. < Yes. < Bye. Even separated by a door, Taylor is still bothered by her mother's voice. Mom. You're giving me anxiety. If Bernadette does trigger her daughter, the results can be catastrophic. EMOTIONALLY: She's hit my head against the wall. She's kicked me, she's pushed me. Just whatever she can to stop the sound from coming from me. You must be afraid of your own daughter. You must be afraid of your own daughter. I've been fearful of my life, yes. Fearful of your life? Fearful of your life? Yeah. Once the rage has passed, she's immediately sorry for what she's done? She feels so guilty. She feels so guilty. Yeah. She's the sweetest girl that you'll ever meet, the kindest. And the saddest part is her crying out to me, saying, 'Mommy, what's happening to me? 'What is this?' One positive step ` recently Taylor was able to return to the dance class that she loves. The loud music muffles the sounds that could upset her. MAN: Come on, Taylor, yeah! Good, you got it. > If you didn't have this condition, what would you want your life to be like? I'd like to be able to go to school, participate in all my sports that I used to love, and go out to dinner with my family. Next on 20/20, a TV presenter finally puts a name to her pain, and best friends and business partners talk about the difficulties of managing misophonia. The moment a trigger comes, it's like, '<BLEEP>.' But at Josh's request to show the world what misophonia feels like, Danny is triggering him intentionally. His instruments of torture ` a pen, a coffee cup, trail mix and a granola bar. God! After just a few minutes, he is forced to run from the room. <BLEEP>. That was too much. 1 In part two of our report into misophonia, Elizabeth Vargas meets two best friends and business partners who cannot be in the same room together and talks to television personality Kelly Ripa, who can finally put a name to her intense dislike of some everyday sounds. MAN: It's Live With Kelly! On Live With Kelly, she is famous for her cheerful and carefree good humour. Kelly Ripa nominated for best host. Kelly Ripa nominated for best host. Oh my God! Kelly Ripa nominated for best host. Oh my God! AUDIENCE CHEERS But Kelly Ripa has a rare and mostly unknown condition that is no laughing matter. I've just discovered this disease that I have. (CHUCKLES) (CHUCKLES) The sounds of swallowing and chewing make me insane. And it's` And it's` So you have a serious problem. I think I do. It's got a name, though. It's got a name. It's called misophonia. LAUGHTER LAUGHTER That sounds like a joke name. CHIPS CRUNCH A funny name, but misophonia is now getting some serious attention after a New York Times article last year. I read the article, and I read it over and over again, and I said, 'I think I have this.' As early as I can remember, certain sounds, um, of eating would bother me. So, what did your parents think of this 9-year-old saying` So, what did your parents think of this 9-year-old saying` I'm sure` ...'You're chewing too loudly'? ...'You're chewing too loudly'? No, I'm sure they thought I was a monster. Ripa's case is milder than most, but she says quiet dinners with her husband and three children can be a recipe for disaster. One of them is chomping or slurping or gulping, I tend to be dis- almost distracted by what's being said by the sound. If you could stop eating the marshmallows for a minute. 'Could be as simple as just swallowing, the sound of swallowing.' We all feel annoyance, but this is something different. Well, I think` I think that my gut reaction is to yell, but I control that. If my husband eats a peach, I have to leave the room. < You have to leave the room? < You have to leave the room? I have to leave the room. What happens if I were to start chewing gum right now? Would you just be`? Would you just be`? Oh my gosh. The sounds of people chewing gum can really enrage me. What about cooking segments on Live? We have the meat. 'Cooking segments on Live can get a little dicey, 'but usually I'm so distracted by the sounds of applause or, you know, I'm focusing on other things.' And the bites that you take, you all take them together ` those tasting bites happen all at the same time. I feel like I turn into the Hulk sometimes. I feel like I turn into the Hulk sometimes. OK. That's how 27-year-old Josh Furnas feels, but tenfold. He made this YouTube video, starring himself, to show what it feels like to hear a trigger sound like chewing. He calls this an understatement. This is how I feel inside. This video is me acting out what I would love to do every time, um, I'm triggered. Josh has struggled with misophonia since he was 8 years old and his father's voice became unbearable. The list of triggers expanded over time. Keyboard typing,... KEYS CLACK ...raspy voices. Some people are unhappy... Bruce Willis movies. I can't stand his voice, for some reason. Let me ask you a question. Very similar to my dad's. Sandals walking ` people walking in sandals. I live my life very defensively, and I need to constantly remove myself from situations and noises that could potentially become triggers. That's become unimaginably difficult because now his biggest trigger is his best friend and business partner, Danny. BOTH: We're the founders of Selfless Tee. Even though they co-founded and co-run their company, Selfless Tee, Josh and Danny cannot sit in nearby offices. In fact, Danny sits upstairs from Josh and down a hall. I'm his closest confidante and biggest enemy. Their conversations, limited to just three hours a week, are carefully choreographed: no small talk, no eating or drinking. Danny is intensely aware of avoiding the triggers that could send Josh into a fit of rage. The moment a trigger comes, it's, like, <BLEEP>. But at Josh's request, to show the world what misophonia feels like, Danny is triggering him intentionally. His instruments of torture ` a pen, a coffee cup, trail mix and a granola bar. TENSE MUSIC KEYS CLACK PLASTIC CRACKLES PEN CLICKS For Josh, holding a simple conversation under these conditions is excruciating. (SIGHS) NOISES CONTINUE NOISES CONTINUE (GRUNTS) PLASTIC CRACKLES (EXHALES HEAVILY) (SOBS) KEYS CLACK (SIGHS) After just a few minutes he is forced to run from the room. (SIGHS HEAVILY) <BLEEP>, that was too much. Even more devastating for Josh is dating with misophonia. Having a long-term girlfriend has been almost impossible. Unfortunately, the scenario can be that everything about this person is wonderful, but guess what ` she chews a little awkwardly, or maybe her voice gets raspy at night a little bit. Cos the thing is that` this really awkward deal-breaker for me. He just says, 'I just can't stand the way she eats in front of me.' (CRUNCHES NOISILY) 'She's gorgeous, but she chews like a horse.' And that, to me, it's sad, right? Any time that I start to have a real emotional connection with somebody, um, really caring for them, is-is when things that they do become worse for me. Josh hopes to get married and have a family one day. His best hope for that is a cure. But with limited funding for research, there is none; just treatments that help people cope. If I gave up hope on a relationship it would be a terrible thing. Josh is determined to unmute his life. 'I feel like I have glimpses of hope with people working together, trying to find a solution.' I am optimistic that things will be better for me, and for everyone, in the long run. Next on 20/20 ` Emma is in LA talking to the big guy playing to the big crowds off the back of his hit show Mike and Molly. Um, I played the Mirage in Las Vegas over the summer. And I was there the year before I was on the show, and I was playing at a different little nightclub on the Strip ` actually, off the Strip ` to about 85 people. Because of Mike and Molly and the success of Mike and Molly, our fans came out and supported me at the Mirage. It was like 1500 seats, same jokes. They're just, you know, 25 bucks more. I was gonna say, 'Have you put the price up?' I was gonna say, 'Have you put the price up?' BOTH LAUGH I might get a short wind, though. I've gotta get it when I can. 1 Welcome back. Actress Melissa McCarthy is the flavour of the year in Hollywood after her star turn in the movie Bridesmaids. She's also a star on TV ` picking up an Emmy for her role on TV2 sitcom Mike and Molly ` a show about a couple who meet at Overeaters Anonymous. Comedian Billy Gardell plays Mike ` Melissa's on-screen love interest. He talked to Emma Keeling about what it was like to be the funny guy who never gets the best jokes. Billy Gardell knows he's a lucky man. I'm telling you, Carl, it's like paradise. I have a lot of fun. You know, I'm 42 years old, and I'm a fat guy who's in the middle of a romantic lead. I don't really have a lot to complain about. Yip. These days he gets to kiss an Oscar-nominated actress. It's a big step up from his years as a stand-up comedian, getting bit parts in movies and TV shows. I'll have to put on pants. If I'm gonna put on pants, I might as well go to the movies. 'As a big guy, you're the sidekick.' You're either saying 'bring them to me' as the bad guy or 'you kids get out of here' or 'Frank, she's gonna kill both of us'. That's your whole house. So the fact they took a chance on making me the lead character of the show just blows me away. It blows me away. Where are you two going? Mike & Molly debuted in 2010 and caused a stir because the lead characters were plus-sized. Imagine that! America upset at looking at fat people. What kind of safety features? What kind of safety features? It's got a horn, and I got an airbag. But then Melissa McCarthy gave them something else to talk about. And the Emmy goes to... Melissa McCarthy. I'm from Plainfield, Illinois, and I'm standing here, and it's kind of amazing. Has Melissa been waving the Emmy in your face? No, I think she was shocked she got it. Her Emmy speech really` that captures who she is. She's humble, and she's very funny and talented, and I think she worked hard, and this business finally recognised what a great talent she is. She has not thrown it at my face. She won't return my calls, but I think that's just` it's the holidays,... I hope. Well, Melissa has been kind of busy being a superstar after her scene-stealing role in Bridesmaids. Oh, this is some classy` (BELCHES) Jeez, Megan. I'm sor` I wanna apologise. I'm not even confident of which end that came out of. On TV her character Molly's jokes are cleaner. The other day I saw him eating a chocolate bar... behind a tree. I know. He thinks he's skinnier than the tree. It's actually... It's kinda cute. It's the older characters who get to dirty it up. Men aren't sticklers for hygiene, are they? The soap's always a pube-fest, and anything's a handkerchief. It's for your own good, Jim. You need to quite chewing your ding-dong like it's got peanut butter in it. It must hurt you as a comedian that the mums in the show ` or the moms, I should say. Mums. You can say mums. Mums. You can say mums. I can say mums? OK. The mums... they get all the best lines. They do, but you know what? What I've learned from our creator Mark Roberts and director Jimmy Burrows, when you're kinda the centre of the tornado, it's your job to do that straight line to-to set those other people up so that they're gonna be twice as funny. So my job is to throw the ball up. Their job is to crush it. Evening, Mrs Flynn. I heard your mama rang a guy's bells all the way to heaven tonight. Billy gets to be the funny one in his stand-up show. I go out now. It's amazing. It's been such a transformation because of the Mike & Molly fans. Um, I played at the Mirage in Las Vegas over the summer. And I was there the year before I was on the show and I was playing at a different little nightclub on the strip, actually off the strip, to about 85 people. Because of Mike & Molly and the success of Mike & Molly, our fans came and supported me at the Mirage. It was, like, 1500 seats. Same jokes. They're just 25 bucks more. I was gonna say, 'Have you put the price up?' I've only got a short window. I've gotta get it while I can. The fame hasn't changed him, but it has changed his garage needs. You're a car man, and we've got a lot of petrolheads in NZ, so what cars do you own? I got a '56 Chevy Bel Air. Oh my God ` look at that sweet ride. It's a bit like this car, which his character Mike fell in love with. When I first got my break, I told my wife I just would like a nice car. It's a '56 Chevy. It's rebuilt from the floor to the back. And it's just all power. There's no finesse about it. It's like driving a metal rocket around. It's the greatest. You can't hear a cellphone in it. You can barely hear the radio, which is good. It's a sweet deal. Sure. Come on over. Ladder's around back. I'll try and save you some pie. JOYCE: Your squabbling kept me a single all those years. MOLLY: Don't play that card. You had more boyfriends than her. If you want to see any of tonight's stories again, head to our website... You can also email us... or go to our Facebook page, of course. And let us know your thoughts on tonight's show. Thanks for all your feedback. Keep those comments and story ideas coming in.