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Daily Record
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Gail Porter: 'I've been at rock bottom, slept on a bench, it's proof we get through'
Presenter Gail Porter shared how she has overcome depression, alopecia and homelessness to find new purpose and joy in life At 54, Gail Porter is reflecting on a life that has taken her from the heights of TV fame to the depths of homelessness and back again. Now, she says, she is finally in a good place. 'I'm 100% happy,' she tells the Mirror. 'I've got my cat. My daughter's doing brilliantly, she's 22 now, finished uni and is working. I'm working, too, mostly charity stuff, and often for free, but I still worry about the next paid job. After being sectioned and homeless, I feel very lucky. I have great friends.' The presenter and mental health advocate has never shied away from speaking about her struggles, including the moment in 2011 when she was sectioned under a 28-day order at a psychiatric unit in North London. 'It was terrifying,' she recalls. 'I was drugged up to my eyeballs, sharing a ward with men convinced they were Jesus, and violent patients. It felt like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.' In 2014, she hit rock bottom. With nowhere to go, she sofa-surfed for months before sleeping rough on a bench in Hampstead Heath. 'I'd applied for library jobs and charity shop shifts. People said, 'You can't do that, you're Gail Porter!' I just wanted someone to give me a chance. Instead, I ended up on a bench thinking I'd had enough.' It was a concerned boyfriend who contacted the police, fearing for her safety. 'Four officers walked up and said, 'Someone's very concerned for your safety. We're taking you to the hospital.' I kicked off. I was furious, but I was desperate,' she says. Long before those dark days, Porter was a staple of late 90s television, hosting Top of the Pops, The Big Breakfast, and gracing the covers of magazines. But her life began to unravel after she developed alopecia in 2005, losing her hair in clumps. 'Friends said, 'You're beautiful bald,' and for a while, I felt invincible, but work dried up. I got asked to do interviews about being bald, unpaid, because you're talking about an 'illness'. I thought, 'This is going to be a bit s***.'' The alopecia came alongside depression and anorexia. 'I lost everything, my house, my career, my confidence,' she admits. Today, she is in recovery, both financially and emotionally. After being declared bankrupt in 2017, she found stability through her Bafta-winning 2020 documentary Being Gail Porter, and continues to rent a place in North London. She also campaigns for causes close to her heart. 'It's awful out there,' she says. 'I work with Fair For You to help people pay back loans without crippling interest, and with the Samaritans over the winter, because I know that darkness. Everyone's one missed payday from disaster.' Despite past romances, including her marriage to Toploader's Dan Hipgrave and a brief fling with The Prodigy's Keith Flint, she has no interest in dating now. 'I don't date. Now, it's all apps and swipes, I can't be bothered. I go to Soho, meet friends, maybe sneak off to a gig, and that's enough.' She remains firm in her belief in self-acceptance. 'I've had dodgy comments, 'Where's your hair? Why no wig?' Sometimes I reply, 'Why didn't you wear better deodorant?' But 95% of people are kind. I love hugs, I get so many lovely hugs.' Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Now, she's embracing a new chapter with the launch of her own wig, 'The Gail', part of Amber Jean Rowan's ethical collection. 'People say, 'Gail, you said you'd never wear a wig,' and I went 20 years without one, but now there's a choice. The first time I put on The Gail, my custom wig, I fell in love. It's not about covering anything up, it's self-expression.' With stand-up gigs, cruise ship Q&As, a new memoir in the works, and backing Prince William's Homewards homelessness campaign, Porter's life is full once again. 'I've been at rock bottom, from sleeping on a bench to standing on a cruise stage, it's proof we get through,' she says. 'You don't need therapy if you find your therapy. Mine is a spin class. When I was at my worst, I paid £100 for unlimited classes for two weeks and did two rides a day. My friends say I look so fit and happy. It's my lifeline.' She adds simply: 'I'm not brave. I wake up, put one foot in front of the other, and here I am. That's all anyone can do.'
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Gail Porter: 'I lost everything including all my hair but now I've fallen in love'
Presenter and campaigner Gail Porter reveals how she has come out the other side of depression, alopecia and homelessness to find a whole new purpose and love for life Gail Porter is having a moment. At 54, the TV presenter and mental health campaigner sounds almost overwhelmed as she reflects on how far she's come, as she chats exclusively to the Mirror. 'I'm 100% happy,' she says. 'I've got my cat. My daughte r's doing brilliantly — she's 22 now, finished uni and is working. I'm working, too, mostly charity stuff, and often for free, but I still worry about the next paid job. After being sectioned and homeless, I feel very lucky. I have great friends.' But Gail's smile falters as she remembers hitting rock bottom. In April 2011, aged 40, she was sectioned under a 28‑day order at a North London psychiatric unit near Hampstead. 'It was terrifying,' she admits. 'I was drugged up to my eyeballs, sharing a ward with men convinced they were Jesus, and violent patients. It felt like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.' In 2014, she found herself truly alone — sofa‑surfing for half a year, then sleeping rough on a bench in Hampstead Heath. 'I'd applied for library jobs and charity shop shifts. People said, 'You can't do that — you're Gail Porter!' I just wanted someone to give me a chance. Instead, I ended up on a bench thinking I'd had enough.' It was a close call. A worried boyfriend alerted the police, fearing Gail might harm herself. 'Four officers walked up and said, 'Someone's very concerned for your safety. We're taking you to the hospital.' I kicked off. I was furious, but I was desperate,' she says. Before these darkest days, Gail had known other tough losses. She was 30 when she married Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave in August 2001, and their daughter, Honey, arrived in September 2002. The marriage ended in separatio n by late 2004, and divorce followed in 2007. 'I've been married once,' she sighs. 'That was enough.' Before that, Gail had a whirlwind fling with the late Keith Flint of The Prodigy. 'He was intense and exciting, but it wasn't meant to be,' she says. Her career was soaring in the late 90s, hosting Top Of The Pops and The Big Breakfast, and appearing on magazine covers. Then, in 2005, her hair began to fall out in clumps. Diagnosed with alopecia, she refused to wear wigs. 'Friends said, 'You're beautiful bald,' and for a while, I felt invincible, but work dried up. I got asked to do interviews about being bald — unpaid, because you're talking about an 'illness'. I thought, 'This is going to be a bit s***.'' The hair loss coincided with anorexia and depression, and her once‑busy diary was blank. 'I lost everything — my house, my career, my confidence,' she admits. In her memoir‑in‑progress, Gail describes crying alone in Soho doorways, terrified that the next gig would be her last. Yet today, she believes she has the best of both worlds. After climbing back from bankruptcy in 2017, and making a Bafta‑winning BBC documentary, Being Gail Porter, in 2020, Gail is finally steady. She's renting again in North London, but still mindful of bills. 'It's awful out there. I work with Fair For You [a not-for-profit online lending company] to help people pay back loans without crippling interest, and with the Samaritans over the winter, because I know that darkness. Everyone's one missed payday from disaster,' she says. When it comes to romance, Gail is unequivocal. 'I don't date. In the 90s, you'd go out, have a few drinks, maybe meet someone. Now, it's all apps and swipes — I can't be bothered. I go to Soho, meet friends, maybe sneak off to a gig, and that's enough.' Her tone hardens at the memory of intrusive remarks. 'I've had dodgy comments — 'Where's your hair? Why no wig?' Sometimes I reply, 'Why didn't you wear better deodorant?' But 95% of people are kind. I love hugs — I get so many lovely hugs.' Gail's laugh breaks as she jokes about her frail eyelashes, fingers tracing her brow. 'I look like a massive baby with boobs. My lashes have grown back recently, and I save a fortune on mascara. I even microbladed my brows — they were too dark, so I bleached them at home. Complete chaos!' She's protective of her looks. 'I had my boobs reduced years ago because they were massive and my back hurt, but that's all the surgery I've ever had. I don't want anyone touching my face. I want to grow old my way.' She reflects on the n otorious February 1999 FHM photo shoot. 'They airbrushed me to within an inch of my life. Young girls looked at that and thought, 'Wish I had a body like that.' They probably took off a stone. They didn't pay me, made a fortune, projected it on to the side of the Houses of Parliament, and left me to deal with it. I don't even have a copy!' Fortunately, not all photo shoots she has taken part in have had such an infamous impact. Recently, Gail shot a campaign for Amber Jean Rowan's conscious‑sourcing wig brand. "Amber's brilliant — she gets alopecia. People say, 'Gail, you said you'd never wear a wig,' and I went 20 years without one, but now there's a choice. The first time I put on The Gail, my custom wig, I fell in love. 'It felt odd at first, but it's so similar to my old hair that it felt exhilarating. It's not about covering anything up — it's self‑expression. I now have the freedom to change my look whenever I fancy. I have the best of both worlds!' The Gail launches just ahead of Hair Loss Awareness Month in August. 'It became the best seller in the Amber Jean collection. I'm still proud of embracing baldness, but now I can also play with style.' Gail's journey is a testament to what she calls 'the brutal beauty of starting over'. She's hosting Q&As on Princess Cruises, touring her stand‑up, and raising awareness of homelessness with Prince William 's Homewards campaign. She's even planning a second memoir, already optioned for film. 'I've been at rock bottom, from sleeping on a bench to standing on a cruise stage, it's proof we get through,' she says. 'You don't need therapy if you find your therapy. Mine is a spin class. When I was at my worst, I paid £100 for unlimited classes for two weeks and did two rides a day. My friends say I look so fit and happy. It's my lifeline.' Her story is not one of bravery, Gail insists, but of survival. 'I hate it when people say, 'Poor Gail,' or 'Gail, you're so brave.' I'm not brave. I wake up, put one foot in front of the other, and here I am. That's all anyone can do.'
BBC News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Wakefield Pride festival cancelled amid funding shortfall
Wakefield's Pride event has been cancelled after organisers said they suffered a "catastrophic" loss of grants and Pride and the Good Times Festival, due to take place at Thornes Park on 2 and 3 August, have both been postponed until 2026. Both days were expected feature a different line-up of artists including Blazin' Squad and Toploader, according to Wakefield holders are being offered refunds or the chance to keep their ticket for next year's event, Wakefield Pride said. Organisers said in a statement they had had to take the "difficult decision" to postpone until next year, after funding they were relying on was pulled."Despite frantic and extensive efforts by the team we have been unable to secure additional financial backing to keep the event afloat," they added.A licensing application submitted to Wakefield Council last month said Wakefield Pride had partnered with the Good Times Festival this year, which was intended as a new event designed to act as a fundraiser to keep Sunday's Pride free to application also requested a change of venue for the event, which has been held in the city centre in previous years with a stage in Trinity Walk. Wakefield Pride said it had been working for over a year to deliver the weekend "with costings totalling over £265,000"."This has been entirely funded by our committee and partners."A catastrophic loss of grants and sponsorships in the 11th hour that were promised this year meant the support we have had in previous years has melted away and we cannot proceed."It added: "We thank you for your support and friendship, and we'd love your continued support in our future plans."The Wakefield Pride team has organised the event since 2005, having gained charitable status in spring charity aims to promote equality and diversity for the public benefit, in particular the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Scottish Sun
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Five of the top UK food festivals this summer from Glastonbury-like music line ups to garlic cocktails
For a long weekend in August, one scenic festival hosts world-famous musicians and Michelin-starred chefs FESTIVAL SEASON Five of the top UK food festivals this summer from Glastonbury-like music line ups to garlic cocktails FESTIVAL season is in full swing, but it's not all muddy mosh pits, trampled tents and loo queues. We're taking a look at the kind of festivals we can all get behind – serving up the very best in food and drink. Jenna Stevens picks five of her favourites. GARLIC FESTIVAL, ISLE OF WIGHT 5 Garlic Festival on the Isle of Wight has entertainment in abundance Credit: Supplied Bring the family, your appetite, and be ready to 'eat, drink and stink' at this unique food festival. Held annually since 1983, the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival is the island's biggest summer show. Step into the garlic marquee to taste Britain's most potent garlic in all its glory, from classic garlic bread to black garlic Bloody Marys. Entertainment is in abundance — think live music, arts and crafts, dog shows, falconry and BMX stunts to keep the entire family happy. READ MORE TRAVEL NEWS SUMMER TIME I'm a TUI travel agent - the cheaper country that you should visit over Spain Take the kids to Camp Garlic for parachutes and Punch and Judy, or watch this year's Garlic Queen crowned with a tiara made from, you guessed it, garlic! GO: The Garlic Farm, Newchurch, Isle of Wight, August 16-17. Adult day ticket: £14.50. Children: £7.50. See SMOKE AND FIRE FESTIVAL, ASCOT/MALDON 5 Smoke and Fire Festival promises to be the ultimate BBQ party Credit: Supplied This promises the ultimate BBQ party. If you're into all things grilled and smoked, you'll be spoilt for choice at this festival firing up in Ascot, Berkshire, and Maldon, Essex. Entertainment ranges from hot wings-eating contests to the World Butcher Wars — the ultimate high-steaks showdown where chefs and butchers chop their way to the championship. There are plenty of vendors offering succulent smoked meats or choose to chill out in the taco and tequila zone. With kids zones, family entertainment, and music from chart-toppers Toploader, Brit pop band Dodgy and tributes Blurd and Shoasis, it's a sizzling summer day out for the whole family. GO: Ascot, July 5-6; Maldon, August 16-17. Adults from £47.12. Kids £7.86. Under-fives go free. See BRISTOL CIDER WEEK 5 Join the King Street takeover for a Bristolian block party, or stroll through the bustling Cider Maker's Market Credit: Supplied The cider capital of the UK, Bristol will be celebrating with a week of toasts, trails and tastings across the city. The festival kicks off aboard Brunel's SS Great Britain with a grand opening party featuring eight top-ups for your cup, and the celebrations continue all week long. Join the King Street takeover for a Bristolian block party, or stroll through the bustling Cider Maker's Market. Learn about the fermentation of fizz at the Cider Salon, and discover its range of 90 perry and cider concoctions alongside charcuterie. Follow the city's cider trail, tasting local creations in a city-wide celebration dubbed 'the Oktoberfest of cider'. GO: Bristol, July 25-August 3. Tickets for each event sold separately. See THE GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL, BIRMINGHAM 5 After 34 years in London, the 2025 Great British Beer Festival is moving to Birmingham Credit: Supplied Hosted annually by the Campaign for Real Ale, the countdown is on for the 2025 Great British Beer Festival. After a 34-year stint in London, the legendary event will be serving up pints at Birmingham's NEC this August. Offering the best in cask ales and craft beers, it boasts more than 900 beverages to tempt the taste buds. Celebrating the very best in both British and international beer, this festival will also host the crowning of the Champion Beer of Britain. Get stuck into interactive tastings with a packed sampling schedule, then test your aim with shuffleboard and golf simulators between sips. As the sun sets, the festival turns up the volume with live music, with performances from the likes of Bootleg Blondie. GO: Birmingham NEC, August 5-9. General admission from £9.50 to £16. Deals on group tickets: five for four. For more details see THE BIG FEASTIVAL, COTSWOLDS 5 The Big Festival hosts world-famous musicians and Michelin-starred chefs Credit: Supplied This food and music festival has people waiting for the line-up to drop like it's Glastonbury. Previous years have seen the likes of Fatboy Slim and Lewis Capaldi take the main stage at the mega event held on the farm of former Blur bassist, Alex James. For a long weekend in August, this scenic Cotswolds farm hosts world-famous musicians and Michelin-starred chefs. This year Nelly Furtado, Faithless and Raymond Blanc make headline appearances. Expect the very best in street food — everything from cookie dough buckets to Naanstop chicken curries. Drop into live kitchen demos and cookery classes, in among celeb DJ sets and dance classes with Oti Mabuse. The Big Feastival truly takes the food festival to another level with camping and glamping options, and a glamorous woodland spa. GO: Cotswolds, August 22-24. Adult day tickets from £93.50. Under-fives go free. For more details see
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bleary eyed students head home after Oxford University's prestigious £165-a-ticket Balliol College May Ball
Bleary-eyed Oxford University students were pictured making their way home from a May Ball in the early hours of this morning. Revellers donned ball gowns and bow ties as they ambled through the town's historic streets following the Star Crossed Lovers themed event at Balliol College. The night ran from 8pm until 4am when those who stayed to the end had a 'survivor's photo' before making their way home. One trio of stragglers were seen munching on sandwiches as they tried to refuel themselves for the journey back. Meanwhile, another group, including a man holding a croquet mallet, wheeled a wagon carrying crates of unused beer down the road. Others clutched their shoes as they tried to give their tired feet a rest while one woman hitched a ride on a friend's shoulders. Some chose to cycle home, with one cheerful pair beaming and waving at the camera as they pedaled away. Early on Saturday evening excited students wearing masquerade masks lined up along Broad Street in the city centre as they waited for the doors to open. The night's headliner was early 2000's band, Toploader known for hits like 'Dancing in the Moonlight'. Revellers donned ball gowns and bow ties as they ambled through the town's historic streets following the Star Crossed Lovers themed event at Balliol College. One trio of stragglers were pictured munching on sandwiches as they tried to refuel themselves for the journey back The lavish event boasted a silent disco, dancers and even a rave room pumping out techno into the surrounding streets. Drone footage captured what was happening behind the prestigious university's walls and showed the different stages and areas of the ball. In one aerial image the campus resembles a festival - with colorful strobes lighting up the courtyards. The sold out Balliol Ball had tickets that included food, drink and various games and music acts were available for Alumni students for £165. The college, which is the oldest in the city and founded in 1263, was where Boris Johnson and Rory Stewart studied. Various other Oxford Colleges also had their balls on the same evening, including Lady Margaret Hall where attendees were also seen making their way home at 5am. In recent months, some colleges from Cambridge have shunned the traditional May Ball for lesser garden parties or discos as prices spiraled and left many students unable to afford tickets. In February Robinson College announced it was going to scrap the extravagant bash - in favour of hosting a 'more accessible and inclusive' event instead. With entry to the previously annual Ball setting students back as much as £270, the institute opted for an 'alternative' event which it hopes will have more appeal. Early on Saturday evening excited students wearing masquerade masks lined up along Broad Street in the city centre as they waited for the doors to open The sold out Balliol Ball had tickets that included food, drink and various games and music acts available for Alumni students for £165 The night's headliner was early 2000's band, Toploader known for hits like 'Dancing in the Moonlight' Robinson College, which is Cambridge's newest college having been founded in 1977, will now hold a 'mega bop' in June in place of the May Ball. This new event will retain the original Ball's 'film noir' theme, but will see tickets made available to all Cambridge University undergraduates at much cheaper prices. It is believed that the May Ball has struggled in recent years to attract Cambridge students, with the lofty £270 ticket prices turning off many young people as they endure increased living costs. Ticket sales were in fact so poor in 2019 that the event was cancelled altogether. A statement on the Robinson May Ball committee's social media said that the decision had been made to cancel this year's event to 'ensure as many students as possible' can enjoy the college's new 'mega bop'.
