Angela Scanlon feeling 'judged' in 15-year eating disorder battle
TV presenter Angela Scanlon has opened up about her body battles growing up, why she wants her daughters to stay 'wild' and her no-holds-barred new podcast with Vicky Pattison
From her vibrant fashion sense to her no-nonsense presenting approach, TV and radio host Angela Scanlon isn't afraid to stand out from the crowd. And as we sit down for an exclusive OK! interview with the flame-haired 41-year-old, the fire in her belly is thoroughly infectious. 'Sorry, my three-year-old is pretending to be a ballerina mermaid, so it's been a busy morning,' says Angela with a warm smile as we do our introductions.
Followers will already know that very little is off the table for the Irish presenter, who opens up on mental health, physical health, friendships, morals and everything in between on social media. But what fans rarely see is her life behind the scenes as a busy working mum to two daughters, Ruby, seven, and Marnie, three, who she shares with husband Roy Horgan.
READ MORE: Zara McDermott shares 'unreal' £30 hair waver that's been creating her go-to summer hair
'I think having something that's private is really important for me,' says Angela, explaining her decision to keep her family life out of the public eye. 'To be able to have that sense of separation is nice.
'When you're in the public eye, there's this sense of people really wanting to see every part of your life, and I totally understand that because I have the same thing. I want to see inside the fridges of the people I follow! But it's striking a balance and, for me, there is something really important about being able to come home, close the door and know that this is real life. Particularly when things are hard, it makes me feel more grounded.'
The Meath-born star, who rose to fame presenting shows such as The One Show and Robot Wars, admits she often struggles knowing how much to share with the world and where to draw the line.
'There's definitely a protectiveness over my family life. I'm trying to figure out what the line is there, because that's how I spend a lot of my time, and it's where a lot of my stories come from that I want to talk about on the radio or the podcast,' says Angela, who recently launched new podcast Get A Grip with her friend Vicky Pattison.
Although she says time is 'flying by' with her two youngsters, it's clear she's embracing it all. 'I want to press pause on this stage of life. All my friends tell me that between zero and eight years old is the sweet spot, so I'm like, 'How do I make this last?' Although, my three-year-old is in rampant tantrum territory so that's... lots of fun right now!'
Angela has managed to strike a healthy balance between work and family life, something that isn't easy in her industry.
'I host weekend breakfast on Virgin Radio, which is a recurring thing, and genuinely I think that a few years ago, had you suggested to me that I would do a recurring gig, I would have run for the hills. I had this phobia around anything deemed to be commitment, outside of my relationship to my husband.
'I was like, 'Oh God, I do not want to be pinned down to anything.' But actually I love it. I still have space to do school drop-off and get time for myself. Last night I went to see Kylie Minogue and danced until late, but then I woke up and made the kids porridge. It's swings and roundabouts.'
Having children has not only given the presenter a new routine, but her journey as a mum has improved her mental and physical health, too, she tells us.
'Before I had kids, my approach was very much that my body was to be preened, presented and punished. It was almost somewhat separate from me,' she muses. 'But I think having children changed how I viewed my body and I became more compassionate, more appreciative and more in awe of what it does every single day. I became more gentle in my approach – my body was to be cared for and appreciated rather than punished or insulted.'
Angela has previously spoken about her 15-year battle with eating disorders anorexia and bulimia, which she admits led to a complicated relationship with her body.
'Growing up, it was size 0 mania, low-slung jeans and bare-toned midriffs, very much a singular idea of what a beautiful woman looked like. There was very little talk about what a healthy relationship with your body looks like. I grew up hearing that your body is something that should be handed out there and judged,' she explains.
This long-term battle with body image has sparked a determination in the former Strictly Come Dancing star to inspire women to feel comfortable in their own skin, and to ensure her daughters grow up with a wholly different mindset.
'There's still a sense of policing what women do, how they look, how they should present, what they should wear. It's bonkers. I think there's a real desire to kind of push back on that. Now I have two daughters, I want to push back on that more.
'I always remind myself that we don't want our daughters to be these complicit, well-behaved little girls who sit quietly and do what they're told, because that's what we've all been told to do,' says Angela. 'I try to take a deep breath when they're being wild and think, 'What I want to preserve more than anything is the fire in them.' Women need that fire.'
Fire is something Angela has plenty of and she puts it to good use when dealing with internet trolls. Known for sharing her bold outfit choices on social media, Angela says some users don't hold back with their unsolicited opinions.
'There is the odd time that [trolling] will sting, but the vast majority of the time it's some d***head in his boxers in his mother's spare room commenting, so I don't let it get to me too much,' she says.
'But I do often respond. People will send me DMs with pretty hardcore 'feedback' and I will reply. Sometimes I can be quite cutting when I need to be, but after replying I block them so it doesn't turn into a conversation.'
It was this kind of backlash that inspired the name of Angela and Vicky's podcast, Get A Grip. 'The name came because Vicky and I have both experienced people telling us to pipe down or to get a grip, but in different ways,' she says.
'Ultimately, people say phrases like that as a kind of dismissal or to make women shut up and stay in their lane. It's like, 'Don't talk politics, you wear silly dresses,' as if one negates the other. Vicky and I are both very feminist and while you don't need to shout about that from the rooftops, we both do.'
Get A Grip, hosted by Angela Scanlon and Vicky Pattison, is available on all podcasting platforms
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
David 'Syd' Lawrence dies aged 61 following cricket trailblazer's MND battle
Former England fast bowler David 'Syd' Lawrence has died aged 61, just 12 months after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease. Seldom, if ever, has a player who won just five Test caps left such an imprint on the game and all those who met him. Lawrence was a gloriously ebullient character, forever 'rocking and rumbling' through life's rapids and generating genuine pace from his busy, bustling approach to the crease. Although those five caps generated only 18 wickets, he enjoyed the distinction of being the last man to dismiss Sir Viv Richards - his boyhood idol - in Test cricket back in 1991. Barely six months later, his left knee effectively disintegrated in delivery stride as a Test against New Zealand, petering out towards a draw in Wellington, was suddenly decorated by a harrowing crack as his patella exploded and Lawrence's traumatic screams of pain reverberated around the Basin Reserve. Spectators said the sound of his knee splitting was "like a pistol shot' and Lawrence was eventually carried from the field on a stretcher, comforted by team mate Ian Botham. Despite two come-back attempts for his county, including the first after 13 months of punishing rehabilitation, when the same knee cracked again during a gym session, he was forced to retire from the sport at the age of 29. Ultimately, the legacy of his terrible injury was too much even for his supreme optimism. Lawrence reinvented himself as a bodybuilder and nightclub owner in Bristol, but he was already blessed with a formidable physique. Early in his career, playing for Gloucestershire's Second XI as a raw prospect, one of his team-mates left a banana skin outside his hotel room door - a racist trope from less enlightened times - and he vowed never to be the stooge of cheap comedians again. The first British-born black player to represent England vowed to work so hard in the gym that nobody would ever mess with him again. It was former England opener and Gloucestershire team-mate Chris Broad who bestowed the nickname 'Syd' on Lawrence, after the famous band leader, and he loved it. But it was a perverse allocation of outrageous fortune that he should be diagnosed with such a terrible wasting disease - the same condition that claimed rugby league hero Rob Burrow - in June 2024. How could such a super-fit specimen who exuded health and fitness be selected by insidious forces to suffer such a dreadful fate? Lawrence bore the symptoms of rapid physical decline with immense dignity, and his friends in the cricket fraternity were thrilled when he was awarded the MBE in the King's Birthday Honours earlier this month. A statement from Lawrence's family said: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Dave Lawrence MBE following his brave battle with motor neurone disease. 'Syd' was an inspirational figure on and off the cricket field and no more so than to his family who were with him when he passed. 'A proud Gloucestershire man, Syd took on every challenge with everything he could and his final contest with MND was no different. His willingness to encourage and think of others right up to the end was typical of the man he was. 'As president of Gloucestershire County Cricket Club, Syd took on the role with incredible pride and passion and loved every minute of it. 'Syd's wife Gaynor and son Buster thank everyone for the kindness and support that has been shown to them and the family so far and would ask that they are now given some time and space to grieve in private.' After Lawrence detailed his experiences of racism during his playing career, Gloucestershire issued an unreserved apology in September 2021 and six months later he became the county's first black president. The county side posted on X: 'Gloucestershire are devastated to learn of the passing of former player and club president, David 'Syd' Lawrence MBE, aged 61. Everyone at Gloucestershire would like to send their best wishes to David's family during this terribly sad time.' Only last week, Lawrence received an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours for his outstanding services to cricket, while he had been working to raise money and awareness of his condition. He said: 'It is an incredibly proud moment. It is not something that I ever thought would sit after my name, but I am absolutely delighted that it will do so for however long I am here and will be a part of my legacy when I am gone.' Lawrence's MND diagnosis hastened his autobiography as he worried he would lose the ability to speak. Titled 'In Syd's Voice', written with the help of Dean Wilson, the book was published this month.
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
'When we saw him collapse live on stage, we didn't know what happened'
The memories of the death of Cooper over 40 years ago still burn bright. 'When we saw him collapse on stage we didn't know what happened,' the actor recalls. 'But this was the days of Ceefax, so we turned it on and discovered the reality. He adds: 'I've since found out that the girl who put Tommy's cloak on him at the final moment was so traumatised she gave up the business straight after.' Cooper, the six-feet four-inch magician whose every bone in his body was funny has since featured episodically in the performance life of Damian Williams. 'I heard a few years ago that producers were looking for someone to play Tommy, and they couldn't find anyone,' says the Essex-born actor. 'It was a friend of mine who asked if they'd seen Damian Williams, and they had no idea who I was. Anyway, I auditioned and was literally offered the part before I'd left the building.' The show is on at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow (Image: PAMELA RAITH) Willams then toured with that play. 'I kept coming back to him and then Paul Hendy wrote the (short) film The Last Laugh, which evolved into the current stage play." The actor acknowledges that playing Tommy Cooper is not about offering a standard impression. 'We've all tried to steer clear of doing that,' he says of the comedy trio. 'But it's hard to find footage of Tommy when he's not being Cooper. The routines are no problem, I love doing them, so for the rest you just have to try and imagine what he would have been like in those circumstances.' He adds, by way of example, 'Years ago I did a stage version of Up Pompeii, in which I played Frankie Howerd. And I made a choice not to be a Frankie Howerd tribute act. The play was funny enough in itself.' Williams does admit to picking up lots of Tommy mannerisms over the years, 'just by watching him and being a fan.' Yet, Cooper is far from simply being a gags machine. His personality adjective seems to cry out 'melancholic.' Is that fair? 'Yes, it is. He had lots of health problems over the years, and he drank quite a lot. You can see interviews with him, and you think 'God, he was pissed there.' It was a challenge for him to get on stage on time. The Last Laugh is packed full of gags, as you would expect, but it doesn't stay away from offering insight into the stresses, the pressures of performance. And it dissects the threesome's comedic abilities, with Monkhouse conceding the other two are naturally funny, while he has to work hard at it. 'And we show how these guys know what their job is – and that's to go out there and be funny, regardless of what they're having to deal with in their private lives.' What would have happened if these three entertainment giants had actually come together at one point? 'I think the play is probably very close to getting it right,' says the actor. 'There is a lot of pi**taking, a lot of banter, and Tommy and Bob were good friends, and Tommy was also really good friends with Eric. I've got a great photo of Tommy at Eric's daughter's birthday party at their home.' Read more Williams knew Bob Golding, who plays Eric Morecambe. 'We both play Dame in panto,' he says, (Williams is the winner of British Panto's Great Dame Award) both working for (writer/producer) Paul Hendy. And we'd seen Simon Cartwright in a play A Man Called Monkhouse. In fact, it was while watching the play that Hendy had an epiphany. 'He announced 'Hold on! I've got you playing Tommy Cooper, Bob playing Morecambe and Simon playing Monkhouse. There has to be something in that.' What Williams brings to his work is a range of experience few modern-day actors can claim. 'I left school aged 15 and managed to land a place in a rep theatre company,' he recalls, 'which is so unheard of now. And the bloke running the rep said, 'You don't need to go to drama school - because I can teach you everything you need to know.' And he did.' Rep theatre is (in)famous for chaos, sets falling down, catching fire . . . What are his favourite worst moments? He smiles. 'Well, there was one time we were half-way through doing an Agatha Christie play and this bloke wearing a hi-vis jacket walked across the back of the stage and began to measure the set. I thought 'What the f*** is this?' Did this lovely juxtaposition of period play costumes and modern-day health and safety uniform sit well with the audience? 'Yes, they were in stitches. And it turned out he was the lorry driver sent to collect the set and take it to the next venue. But he didn't realise the play was going on.' He laughs. 'And we kept on going on.' There were many such surreal moments. 'I remember once working on a play called Bedside Manners and I had to stand at a concierge's desk, reading from a big book. And as I opened the book, the lights went up and a butterfly flew down from the dress circle, in full spotlight and landed on the page. The audience gasped at the sheer delight of this moment, and I said 'Sorry, no pets!' and it flew off again, and I got a massive laugh. But after the show, some of the audience asked 'Does this happen every night?' And I said, 'Yes, of course. It's a trained butterfly.' "But that was better than the bat which dive bombed us for ever during a performance of John Godber's Bouncers. We couldn't get rid of it, and the audience were in hysterics.' The Last Laugh, the Theatre Royal, Glasgow, July 15-19
The Herald Scotland
2 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Orchestra statement after jazz star sacked from Conservatoire role
RCS confirmed that the 58-year-old was dismissed following a disciplinary investigation and hearing. A spokesperson for RCS added: "RCS has robust policies in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of students and staff.' Read more: One of the world's leading saxophonists and artistic director and founder of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Smith was awarded an OBE for services to jazz in the 2019 New Year honours list. A presence on the global jazz scene since his teenage years, Edinburgh-born Smith has recorded with definitive jazz label Blue Note and worked with a myriad of jazz greats, including Chick Corea and Dame Cleo Laine. In a statement, the board of the SNJO said: "Tommy Smith OBE is the founder of the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra and a board member of the organisation. "While the board is aware of the Mail on Sunday report surrounding his removal from post by the Royal Conservatoire for Scotland (RCS), we wish it to be understood that his work with the SNJO and the TSYJO is, as Artistic Director, significantly different from his teaching position at the RCS. The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland "Moreover, as with such cases, Mr Smith is within his rights to appeal his dismissal, therefore, we will be making no further comment until any due process is completed." The Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra - the youth wing of the SNJO - is scheduled to perform on Friday as part of the Glasgow Jazz Festival. The Herald understands that Mr Smith was never going to be part of, or present, at the concert. A spokesperson for Glasgow Jazz Festival said: 'The jazz orchestra show will go ahead as planned, conducted by Pete Johnstone, giving 26 young musicians a platform to showcase their musical talents as part of the festival.'
