‘I always felt a step behind everyone else’: Fearne Cotton reveals being surrounded by ‘gorgeous young popstars’ while presenting Top of the Pops fuelled her insecurities
- Presenter, 38, hosted the hit BBC show from 2003 to 2006, with Reggie Yates
- Said she was intimidated by stars with flat stomachs, stylists and makeup artists
- Added that being on TV from 15 may have been trigger to mental health troubles
Fearne Cotton has revealed that presenting Top of the Pops surrounded by a ‘plethora of gorgeous popstars’ fuelled her insecurities.
The presenter, 38, who hosted the hit show from 2003 to 2006, opened up about her journey with mental health in an interview with Stella, and talked about the triggers that led to her struggles with bulimia and depression.
She said: ‘When I was doing Top of the Pops in the 1990s there was a plethora of gorgeous young pop stars around, from Samantha Mumba to Steps, and they all looked like these confident, luminous beings to me, with flat stomachs and stylists and make-up artists.’
‘I never felt I was exuding that kind of confidence or ability. Even later, I always felt a step behind everyone else.’
Fearne Cotton has revealed presenting Top of the Pops surrounded by a ‘plethora of gorgeous popstars’ fuelled her insecurities.
The mother-of-two, who often discusses mental health on her podcast Happy Place, added that being on television from the age of 15 may have been a trigger to her mental health troubles, saying that she was ‘just a porous teenager soaking it all in’.
Fearne, who began her career aged 15 presenting on GMTV’s Disney Club, said that she also suffered from imposter syndrome when hosting shows with Terry Wogan.
She said she felt like she didn’t belong while fronting the like of Eurovision and Children in Need.
The former Radio 1 DJ has been sharing candid insights during lockdown and recently discussed the difficulties of trying to navigate a blended family amid the UK coronavirus crisis.
The presenter, 38, hosted Top of the Pops from 2003 to 2006, with Reggie Yates (pictured together). She opened up about her journey with mental health in an interview with Stella, and talked about the triggers that led to her struggles with bulimia and depression
Fearne shares Rex, seven, and Honey with her rocker beau Jesse, who also has Arthur, 18, and Lola, 14, with his ex-wife Tilly.
She said: ‘I, like many of you, are part of a blended family and after last night’s announcement it’s really difficult to know how to play that. My step-kids come and go from both houses – to our house, to their mum and step-dad’s.
‘From what we’ve read, we think the best approach is to take it as long as both sets of parents have no symptoms or children, and they haven’t in the last two weeks, we should be able to continue having the kids dropped off or picking them up.
‘So we can spend time with them because the thought of not seeing them for, God knows how long, is tricky.
‘There’s so much more I want to say but my brain is scrambled, I haven’t had much sleep. So much love to you all, stay home and safe.’
Fearne has a hugely successful presenting career, starting at the age of 15. She appeared on Celebrity Juice with Holly Willoughby and Keith Lemon from 2008 to 2018