Leigh,
I had to laugh at your use of the phrase "turned all pear shaped...". On this side of the pond, that phrase, I think is refered to as SHTF, or a mass of excrement hitting a large fan.
Fortunately, I watch "The F Word" with Gordon Ramsey on BBC America, so I am familiar with it. Is it an old term used by uncles and aunts over the years or a relatively new one, say no older than Austin Powers?