In 2021, at 42 years old, Peter had the reading age of a four-year-old. He had spent his life not being able to read and write, navigating the world with careful planning and the help of his wife. Then the Covid lockdowns turned the world upside down, and his usual way of going through life exploded. His wife was home-schooling their 10-year-old son, and he was ashamed he couldn't help. His work as a lorry driver was put on hold, and even simple tasks like shopping became incredibly difficult.

One day in the supermarket, he became overwhelmed trying to find a milk that his wife and son could drink, since they are both allergic to dairy and soy. He worried he might poison them. It hit him that the way he had been living his life previously could not continue. He didn't want to tell his wife, because she was dealing with enough already, but once he got home it just came out that he was struggling. She told him she had found an organisation that might be able to help. Since leaving school, he had tried multiple times to learn how to read - nothing had worked. He didn't think it was worth trying again, but she convinced him to do it for her. That moment changed his entire life.

Born partially deaf, things were difficult growing up in Lancashire. He could hear people talking but often became overwhelmed by noises, meaning he couldn't follow what the teacher was saying. At six, he was transferred to a special school, but things got worse. Each student was dealing with their own special educational needs or behavioural issues, so it was even harder to concentrate. At the same time, he had several operations on his ears, which meant his hearing came back, but by then he had been told to sit at the back of the class and keep quiet. When he left school at 16, he had no qualifications, a bad stammer from anxiety, and he couldn't read or write.

He managed to get a job on a nearby farm through a friend, and after a year he decided to go to college to learn how to read. His parents discouraged him, thinking it was better he earn a living and contribute to household costs while still living at home. Thankfully, he passed his driving test because there wasn't a theory portion and he could memorise what the road signs meant. He realised he was good at visualising and could map out a route in his head.

Eventually, when he moved out, he applied for his lorry licence. Using those visualising skills, he began working as a lorry driver at 22. He got by memorising motorway numbers and routes. The invention of talking satnavs was a great help. Yet he still couldn't read.

In 2010, a friend convinced him to try college again, but once more it didn't work - he didn't have the foundations of literacy to understand what they were trying to teach. However, it was there that he met his wife. Once they were together, it was a huge relief, as she would step in to help whenever reading or writing was involved. He didn't feel judged by her.

They carried on like this, working as a team, for the next decade until Covid hit and he reached crisis point. After the milk incident, his wife suggested he get in touch with the Read Easy charity, and he organised an initial meeting with one of its volunteers, Alison. He had a meltdown before they even met, since he couldn't figure out how to pay at the car park, but once he finally made it inside, Alison put him completely at ease. She said they would need to start small but that she would be by his side, working through a series of reading manuals created by the Shannon Trust.

His goal was to read the first Harry Potter book, since he had heard they were wonderful and he could identify with Harry as an outsider because of his deafness. Over the next three years they met twice each week and the world completely opened up to him. He finished the Harry Potter book, and even though he missed out on reading to his son when he was younger, they can now do other things together - such as cooking, because he can read and follow a recipe his son has chosen.

Today, he is an ambassador for Read Easy, since he thinks it's important to encourage others in his situation to seek help, especially men who might be too ashamed to talk. He also wants to take his GCSE in English and change careers to keep helping others. He has three books on the go at the moment - he can't believe how beautiful reading is!

Peter's story features in The Book That Changed My Life, which airs on 14 October on BBC Two and iPlayer.