Latest news with #PeteWicks
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Olly Alexander opens up about living with an eating disorder and self harming as a teenager in candid conversation with Pete Wicks
Olly Alexander has opened up about living with an eating disorder and self harming as a teenager in a candid chat with Pete Wicks. The singer, 34, appeared on Wednesday's episode of the podcast Pete Wicks: Man Made, which talks to modern male role models about what it means to be one. In the honest chat, Olly revealed that his mental health took a downward spiral in his teen years after the breakdown of his parents' marriage and his struggle to understand his sexuality. Olly said he began self harming as a way of 'gaining control' over his life, and said it was almost as though he used it to punish himself because he felt he didn't deserve to feel good. He also became bulimic, an eating disorders where people binge eat then rid then purge their bodies of the extra food, which he said got so severe he developed a heart condition. 'My parents split when I was 13,' he said. 'My house growing up was quite chaotic. There was a lot going on that wasn't just me trying to figure out my sexuality and I hid this from my mum for a long, long time, but I was self-harming. I was cutting myself. He added: 'I was bulimic for a long time. I had an eating disorder and I was giving myself an irregular heart. 'I was making myself ill basically from everything I was doing and I went to hospital with my mum and I had hidden everything from her for so long about how bad I was feeling and what I was doing to myself. 'Then finally when she found out, I just was like, I can't keep doing this. But obviously I kept doing it actually for a few years afterwards but it was definitely a shift that moment and it carried on to my early 20s where I just had a lot of harmful behaviours.' Olly said that it wasn't until he signed a record deal and his manager urged him to see a therapist that he did. He has been with the same therapist for 10 years. 'And where are you now in terms of how you feel about yourself and how you feel about the man that you've become?' Pete asked. Olly began: 'I don't always feel amazing but I feel I've been on a journey and I'm grateful for the journey and it's the foundation I have within myself I think is now really strong because of knocks I felt I was taking and trying to figure out how it made me feel with the help of professional support and stuff. 'I feel like "Oh wow I know a lot about myself now".' In 2018, Olly won GQ's Live Act Of The Year Award and in his acceptance speech, he spoke out about male suicide rates. Speaking to Pete, he expressed how he felt it was an important topic to address as suicide is the biggest killer of men. 'I remember saying in my acceptance speech something similar to about how I'd never expected to be here and I mentioned how suicide is the biggest killer of men,' he said. 'I wanted to say it because I was like, "look, we need to talk about this." I know that I have all these issues of being a man related to my sexuality and how I feel about masculinity and I'm trying to get somewhere with it. 'But I'm not the only one that feels this way and every man's going to feel differently about their identity or their gender but everybody struggles. I think men, especially, aren't good or don't have the tools necessary to talk about it and it's created this huge crisis that's been going on for a long, long time. 'It's still the biggest killer of men under a certain age and I remember just bringing that up and feeling like gosh was that probably not the right thing to say at an awards show?' Pete added: 'It absolutely is because it's about starting a conversation for people to accept that there are a million different ways to be a man.' Elsewhere in the interview, Olly revealed his art teacher Mr Corker was the first man he felt safe around. Pete asked the star: 'So that's someone that you actually knew, someone who was in your life and someone was there for that formative years, why?' Olly said: 'Well, I'll be honest, Pete, it was so hard to pick. I was like, I can't pick any male role models. It made me feel sad.' He continued: 'Well I really liked him because he was very chill. First couple years in secondary school I was picked on at, generally hated school but then in a few years in I had some really good friends and we were just a little unit and we would just hang out in the art class every free period or at lunchtime just drawing and Mr. Corker would just let us hang out and he was always just very chilled out very encouraging. 'He was quite young so he's one of those teachers where the kids just like him and he would just let us chill out in the art room and he was always so encouraging because I thought maybe I would go to art school and I just always appreciated that that he had this very chill, safe vibe about him.' Pete said: 'I mean, safe is a really incredible word to use. Is that the first time maybe that you'd been around a man that had made you feel safe?' 'I don't know,' Olly replied. 'I think, yeah, I felt unsafe, not in a massively serious way, but just didn't know how to be myself around a lot of guys. 'But this guy, Mr. Corker, he just seemed to not care so you could be yourself around him.' If you've been affected by this article call Samaritans on 116 123, visit or visit for confidential support.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Touching moment Sam Thompson breaks down in tears and is comforted by best friend Pete Wicks during agonising 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge - as he reveals he is out of charity match
Sam Thompson broke down in tears after 'losing himself' during his epic 260-mile Soccer Aid challenge, scenes in his new documentary showed. The 32-year-old raised more than £1.5million for Unicef as he battled an calf injury amid his gruelling trek from Manchester to Old Trafford to deliver the Soccer Aid match ball ready for the match on Sunday. The new documentary, which aired on Friday on ITV, gives fans an insight into the highs and lows of Sam's mission, including one particularly touching moment with Pete Wicks, 36. One clip showed Sam grimacing as he fought through the painful calf injury - which has led to him being forced out of the match - on the third leg of his challenge, before noticing his good friend ahead of him. Pete and Sam immediately embraced with a hug, before the runner broke down in tears in his podcast co-host's arms in a very emotional moment. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The 32-year-old raised more than £1.5million for Unicef as he battled through an agonising calf injury to deliver the Soccer Aid match ball to Old Trafford ready for the match this Sunday Pete reassured him: 'You're smashing it,' but a struggling Sam replied: 'I'm not'. The heart-warming moment then saw the pair hug again, with Pete motivating his pal to keep going. Reflecting on his break down, Sam said that he 'lost himself' during that moment. 'All of this frustration, all of this emotion about how embarrassed I am and how I feel like I'm letting people down came out,' he said. 'Everyone else who does these challenges completes it and I was being proved right that I wasn't the guy.' The clip also gave viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Pete supporting Sam after the end of the leg. Sam told the former TOWIE star as he looked down at his calf: 'I'm not going to be able to do this thing.' Pete, however, once again reassured him: 'You're nearly halfway there, whatever you've been through now, you've already done. The clip also gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at Pete supporting Sam after the end of the leg as the Made in Chelsea man reveals he felt like he couldn't complete the mission 'You can do that again, you know you can get through it, so just do the same again.' Miraculously, Sam managed to power through the final two days to complete his mission, and he struggled to control his emotions as he crossed the finish line last Friday. The former Made In Chelsea star was however unfortunately forced out of the Soccer Aid match at Old Trafford on Sunday due to his injuries. Sam announced the devastating news during an appearance on This Morning on Friday, telling host Alison Hammond: 'I'm still very sore, still got the torn calf, however I am here at Soccer Aid HQ and it does not get better than this. 'We've still got the management team of England, we've got Vicky McClure, Tyson Fury, who's stepping into some new shoes and Harry Redknapp... 'But also because I'm not going to be able to run around, you've also got me, part of the management team. Come on baby!' Dermot said: 'So you can't play this year obviously because you're literally falling apart. 'So is that right? you're not going to play but you're part of the management team?' Sam said: 'Yeah I came here with high hopes and went to see Gary the physio and I can kick a ball from a standing start, but when it comes to like general chaos of playing competitive sport there's just no way. 'I can't really run properly so yeah. 'They were very kind and said we still want you to be a part, so I get to go on the dark side with Tyson Fury.' Instead of playing the game, the reality star will be helping from the sidelines as a coach. Sam's withdrawal came after he and Louis Tomlinson finally came face-to-face at Soccer Aid training on Thursday in an awkward meet-up, and had a similar run-in on Friday morning. Sam has insisted there are 'no hard feelings' after his ex-girlfriend Zara McDermott moved on quickly with singer Louis, 33, following their split in December, and the new couple have been inseparable since going public in March. But it remained quite the awkward encounter when Louis and Sam had to train beside one another on the pitch, and tried to avoid eye contact while mingling with their other celebrity teammates. The men are on the same England team for Unicef, but tried to not draw attention to themselves as they kept to their own devices, although at one point, they were briefly spotted sharing a glance as 'showboating' Sam gave him a smile. Following the run-in, body language expert Judi James shed some light on the little interaction they had on the day, admitting their efforts to avoid each other's gaze only acted as an 'attention-magnet'. Speaking exclusively with MailOnline, Judi told how that Sam's behaviour suggests he's keen to be seen as 'anything but a loser in love', while Louis appears more 'introverted'. 'There probably was scope for these two guys to connect with a hug or a handshake, no matter how cursory, but they chose to perform a non-verbal 'ignore' of the situation, with Sam being Zara's ex while Louis is very much her current,' she said. 'The problem with ignoring a very obvious situation is that is tends to then act as an attention-magnet, so the presumed goal of not upstaging the charity becomes a bit of a problem.' Judi told how Sam's body language saw him 'showboating' as he looked determined to be on jovial terms and wanted to avoid being seen as 'a loser in love', compared to Louis' more introverted state. 'Both guys present as 'good' guys here though even though their lack of eye contact or other form of greeting tends to lend an air of drama to the event,' she went on. 'They each appear to have adopted contrasting states. Sam's body language puts him in an attention-seeking mode, showboating with a wide smile and animated gesticulation, while Louis appears more introvert, watching the action with a grin rather than instigating it himself. 'Sam's behaviour suggests he's keen to be seen as anything but a loser in love here. His body language looks actively upbeat, confident and excited, suggesting he's moved on since the end of his relationship with Zara. 'Louis appears watchful and interested but there's no outward sign of anything competitive or of open resentment from the two men who are both known as nice guys.' Zara took to Instagram to share an adorable snap of her holding a white cat on Friday, while rocking a casual white t-shirt and matching trousers Louis appeared visibly awkward as he stood directly behind a cheerful Sam - although it's not known if the pair have interacted with each other behind cameras. But it seems that Sam and Louis will still be keeping their distance from each other in the changing rooms as they have separated spaces. As Sam arrived at the training day, he put on a brave face for photos, while beaming Louis was captured arriving and making his way on to the pitch. And Zara showed her support for her new boyfriend Louis the night before, cooking the pair a 'creamy salmon pasta for dinner', as she captured the plate with the singers guitar noticeably in the background. The new couple have enjoyed a loved-up getaway at his home in LA and to Costa Rica together after Louis flew his flame out to the island first-class. It doesn't seem as if Zara is in attendance to support Louis at Soccer Aid however, as the 28-year-old shared an adorable picture of her holding a white cat on her Instagram on Friday.
Scottish Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Watch emotional moment Sam Thompson reveals he ‘feels like a failure' as he breaks down in doc after quitting Soccer Aid
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) SAM Thompson is seen breaking down and saying he "feels like a failure" in an emotional moment from his ITV documentary. It comes just hours after The Sun revealed how the former Made in Chelsea star, 32, has been forced to quit Soccer Aid. 5 Sam Thompson is seen breaking down on his ITV documentary tonight Credit: ITV 5 The reality star is seen being comforted by his good friend Pete Wicks Credit: ITV 5 Sam said he felt like a 'failure' when he took on his huge Unicef challange Credit: ITV 5 It comes as it is revealed Sam has been forced to quit Soccer Aid Credit: PA Tonight's ITV documentary shows the highs and lows of Sam's recent gruelling 260-mile trip from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford. Along the way, the reality star suffered a calf injury while running, which hindered him. Not one to quit, the I'm A Celebrity champ continued the huge challenge and completed it on both bike and foot. However, due to his injury, and also the enormity of the challenge, Sam broke down when he saw his best friend Pete Wicks along the way. In our exclusive clip Sam can be seen getting emotional as he talks to his good pal. Struggling to compose himself, Sam says that he didn't think he's "smashing it". Pete immediately rushes to comfort his pal, and says: 'You are smashing it, are you still going? There you go, you're smashing it. Come on, you're all right. You're good. 'You're the guy before you started, you're the guy now and you're going to be the guy when you finish. You got this." Reflecting on this moment, Sam says to the camera: "I lost myself when I was hugging Pete. "All of this frustration, all of this like emotion about how embarrassed I am and how I feel like I'm letting people down and. Sam Thompson breaks down in tears and is comforted by Pete Wicks as disaster strikes on 260-mile endurance challenge "Everyone else who does these challenges complete it and I was being proved right that I wasn't the guy." INJURED STAR Sam's turmoil has continued today after it was revealed that he has had to pull out of Soccer Aid on Sunday, due to injuries sustained in his epic marathon challenge A source said: 'Sam is gutted he can't play, but the match has just come too soon since his efforts. 'He's still going to be a presence and play a big part in the coverage but he won't be able to compete on the field.' The source added: 'There is a small blessing in his withdrawal as the focus on him and Louis will disperse. 'Their every move will be watched so it's a relief in some ways they won't be on the pitch together.' 5 Sam and Louis Tomlinson were pictured training earlier this week Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Sam was due to play in the same England side as One Direction star Louis, 33, who is now dating his ex Zara McDermott. The pair were pictured training this week at Soccer Aid HQ in Tring, Herts, where the England and Rest of the World teams are preparing for the match. Sam will now play a 'ceremonial role' in Sunday's match, kicking off the game before heading into the stands. On his absence, England teammate Mo Farah said: 'If Sam's unable to play that's a shame but we're still proud of him for his efforts and what he did for UNICEF. 'He'll still be with us and part of our team on the day.'
The Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Watch emotional moment Sam Thompson reveals he ‘feels like a failure' as he breaks down in doc after quitting Soccer Aid
SAM Thompson is seen breaking down and saying he "feels like a failure" in an emotional moment from his ITV documentary. It comes just hours after The Sun revealed how the former Made in Chelsea star, 32, has been forced to quit Soccer Aid. 5 5 5 5 Tonight's ITV documentary shows the highs and lows of Sam 's recent gruelling 260-mile trip from Stamford Bridge to Old Trafford. Along the way, the reality star suffered a calf injury while running, which hindered him. Not one to quit, the I'm A Celebrity champ continued the huge challenge and completed it on both bike and foot. However, due to his injury, and also the enormity of the challenge, Sam broke down when he saw his best friend Pete Wicks along the way. In our exclusive clip Sam can be seen getting emotional as he talks to his good pal. Struggling to compose himself, Sam says that he didn't think he's "smashing it". Pete immediately rushes to comfort his pal, and says: 'You are smashing it, are you still going? There you go, you're smashing it. Come on, you're all right. You're good. 'You're the guy before you started, you're the guy now and you're going to be the guy when you finish. You got this." Reflecting on this moment, Sam says to the camera: "I lost myself when I was hugging Pete. "All of this frustration, all of this like emotion about how embarrassed I am and how I feel like I'm letting people down and. Sam Thompson breaks down in tears and is comforted by Pete Wicks as disaster strikes on 260-mile endurance challenge "Everyone else who does these challenges complete it and I was being proved right that I wasn't the guy." INJURED STAR Sam's turmoil has continued today after it was revealed that he has had to pull out of Soccer Aid on Sunday, due to injuries sustained in his epic marathon challenge A source said: 'Sam is gutted he can't play, but the match has just come too soon since his efforts. 'He's still going to be a presence and play a big part in the coverage but he won't be able to compete on the field.' The source added: 'There is a small blessing in his withdrawal as the focus on him and Louis will disperse. 'Their every move will be watched so it's a relief in some ways they won't be on the pitch together.' 5 Sam was due to play in the same England side as One Direction star Louis, 33, who is now dating his ex Zara McDermott. The pair were pictured training this week at Soccer Aid HQ in Tring, Herts, where the England and Rest of the World teams are preparing for the match. Sam will now play a 'ceremonial role' in Sunday's match, kicking off the game before heading into the stands. On his absence, England teammate Mo Farah said: 'If Sam's unable to play that's a shame but we're still proud of him for his efforts and what he did for UNICEF. 'He'll still be with us and part of our team on the day.' England team and coaching staff Here is a look at the full team for England for Soccer Aid 2025... Team: Steven Bartlett (Entrepreneur) Alex Brooker (TV personality) Jermain Defoe (Former footballer) Toni Duggan (Former footballer) Angry Ginge (YouTuber) Tom Grennan (Musician) Bear Grylls (TV personality) Joe Hart (Former footballer) Steph Houghton (Former footballer) Aaron Lennon (Former footballer) Dame Denise Lewis (Olympic gold medallist) Paddy McGuinness (TV personality) Sir Mo Farah (Former Olympian) Gary Neville (Former footballer) Sam Quek (Former hockey player/TV personality) Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager) Paul Scholes (Former footballer) Jill Scott (Former footballer) Sam Thompson (King of the Jungle) Louis Tomlinson (Musician) Michael Carrick (Former footballer) Phil Jagielka (Former footballer) Roman Kemp (Radio host) Jack Wilshere (Former footballer) Bella Ramsey (Actor) Coaches: Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager) Tyson Fury (Boxer) Harry Redknapp (Former football manager) Vicky McClure (Actor) Goalkeeping coach: David James (Former footballer)
The Irish Sun
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Watch emotional moment Sam Thompson reveals he ‘feels like a failure' as he breaks down in doc after quitting Soccer Aid
SAM Thompson is seen breaking down and saying he "feels like a failure" in an emotional moment from his ITV documentary. It comes just hours after The Sun revealed how the former 5 Sam Thompson is seen breaking down on his ITV documentary tonight Credit: ITV 5 The reality star is seen being comforted by his good friend Pete Wicks Credit: ITV 5 Sam said he felt like a 'failure' when he took on his huge Unicef challange Credit: ITV 5 It comes as it is revealed Sam has been forced to quit Soccer Aid Credit: PA Tonight's ITV documentary shows the highs and lows of Sam's recent gruelling Along the way, the reality star suffered a calf injury while running, which hindered him. Not one to quit, the I'm A Celebrity champ continued the huge challenge and completed it on both bike and foot. However, due to his injury, and also the enormity of the challenge , Sam broke down when he saw his best friend Pete Wicks along the way. READ MORE ON SAM THOMPSON In our exclusive clip Struggling to compose himself, Sam says that he didn't think he's "smashing it". Pete immediately rushes to comfort his pal, and says: 'You are smashing it, are you still going? There you go, you're smashing it. Come on, you're all right. You're good. 'You're the guy before you started, you're the guy now and you're going to be the guy when you finish. You got this." Most read in News TV Reflecting on this moment, Sam says to the camera: "I lost myself when I was hugging Pete. "All of this frustration, all of this like emotion about how embarrassed I am and how I feel like I'm letting people down and. Sam Thompson breaks down in tears and is comforted by Pete Wicks as disaster strikes on 260-mile endurance challenge "Everyone else who does these challenges complete it and I was being proved right that I wasn't the guy." INJURED STAR Sam's turmoil has continued today after it was revealed that A source said: 'Sam is gutted he can't play, but the match has just come too soon since his efforts. 'He's still going to be a presence and play a big part in the coverage but he won't be able to compete on the field.' The source added: 'There is a small blessing in his withdrawal as the focus on him and Louis will disperse. 'Their every move will be watched so it's a relief in some ways they won't be on the pitch together.' 5 Sam and Louis Tomlinson were pictured training earlier this week Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Sam was due to play in the same England side as One Direction star Louis, 33, who is now dating The Sam will now play a 'ceremonial role' in Sunday's match, kicking off the game before heading into the stands. On his absence, England teammate Mo Farah said: 'If Sam's unable to play that's a shame but we're still proud of him for his efforts and what he did for UNICEF. 'He'll still be with us and part of our team on the day.' England team and coaching staff Here is a look at the full team for England for Soccer Aid 2025... Team: Steven Bartlett (Entrepreneur) Alex Brooker (TV personality) Jermain Defoe (Former footballer) Toni Duggan (Former footballer) Angry Ginge (YouTuber) Tom Grennan (Musician) Bear Grylls (TV personality) Joe Hart (Former footballer) Steph Houghton (Former footballer) Aaron Lennon (Former footballer) Dame Denise Lewis (Olympic gold medallist) Paddy McGuinness (TV personality) Sir Mo Farah (Former Olympian) Gary Neville (Former footballer) Sam Quek (Former hockey player/TV personality) Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager) Paul Scholes (Former footballer) Jill Scott (Former footballer) Sam Thompson (King of the Jungle) Louis Tomlinson (Musician) Michael Carrick (Former footballer) Phil Jagielka (Former footballer) Roman Kemp (Radio host) Jack Wilshere (Former footballer) Bella Ramsey (Actor) Coaches: Wayne Rooney (Former footballer and manager) Tyson Fury (Boxer) Harry Redknapp (Former football manager) Vicky McClure (Actor) Goalkeeping coach: David James (Former footballer)
