Michelle Heaton: The Truth About Popstars & My Hidden Addictions “I Couldn’t Stop”
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
As I'm getting ready to go in the car to leave, there was a bottle of gin, and I downed it. And her son walked in and said, Auntie Michelle, you're not meant to be doing that, are you?
Michelle Heaton. Michelle Heaton. The winner is Liberty Air. Liberty X, international success.
What does Michelle Heaton say about her body image struggles?
You had 10 consecutive top 20 singles.
Growing up, I had this absolute vision to be in a pop band.
How did Michelle feel about being cast on Popstars?
Richard Branson was watching the TV show we were on. Pop stars. And would love to sign us.
How did Michelle's addiction impact her relationships?
It was just so much fun.
Who was it that called you all the flop stars?
Okay, um, I believe it was... Really?
I didn't realize how low it actually got for you.
I don't remember ever doing a gig sober. I was struggling behind the scenes with my addictions. I would binge eat, and then I would go and get drunk, and then I'd start again. I was outed by my manager. He said, you've put on weight. I was the only one of the three girls in that shoot to wear a dress because I couldn't fit into the cat suit. I lost everything I thought I knew by myself. I was really scared.
What were you scared of, Michelle? God. Can I show you something? Hey there, before we begin the episode, I just want to say thank you for choosing We Need to Talk. Doing this podcast is one of the greatest joys of my life, and I want to continue to share it with you. So hit follow and the bell icon. It takes just a second, and it helps us to continue to grow this podcast.
Michelle Heaton, we need to talk. Just like that, we're talking. Okay. Okay. Where I think we should begin is, ironically, where I was yesterday.
Oh.
This is – is it Gateshead that you – Oh, my God.
Are we doing Gateshead?
What are you doing in Gateshead? All right. So I was close by in Newcastle. Newcastle.
All right, okay, you can't say that because Gateshead and Newcastle are separated by the River Tyne. So you can't say you were in Gateshead when you weren't in Gateshead. So different.
Okay, so help me understand this because it seems like there is a line.
Yes.
And also there's a lot, the line also means if you are Geordie or not.
That's correct. Yes.
What were the early experiences of addiction for Michelle?
So the line is, you know, Newcastle, you're Geordie. And then there's Gateshead after the River Tyne. And then there's Sunderland. If you're in Sunderland, you're a Mackham.
A Mackham?
You're called a Mackham. Now, Gateshead's that grey area where I think most of the people in there would say that they're Geordie and they support Newcastle United, but it definitely infiltrates into Sunderland.
So what do you consider yourself?
I consider myself a Geordie, definitely. Yeah, no, all my friends will be watching this. I'm definitely a Geordie. Yeah, but I was never really a massive football fan, and those terms came because of the football teams.
Okay, all right, fair, fair. But what was Gateshead like? How would you describe it growing up?
Ooh, um... I mean, Gateshead was predominantly council estate. And so I got brought up on a council estate. My mum and dad managed to buy the house off the council, you know, back then. I think it was like 15, 20 grand or something. You know, we're talking like 1970s, 1980s. I don't know whether I've put like the blinkers on a lot of my childhood or not because I can't really articulate what it was like for me. I know that, you know, I had two great parents. They loved me and my brother David. And I had no problems at home. You know, the usual arguments. My mom and dad consequently broke up. But it wasn't a bad house. I didn't live in a house where there was addictions or alcoholism or abuse or anything like that.
It was just normal. My dad and his family, you know, and my mum, I suppose, you know, we didn't really talk about things, especially my dad's side of the family. He had a really tough upbringing. And I suppose he learnt to, when things needed to be said or emotions, to kind of dull that. And so we didn't really talk ever so much about our feelings and what was going on. My head was always in the land of fantasy.
Interesting.
So I was always imagining what my life could or will look like. So what served me well, I think growing up was that I had this absolute vision, like this tunnel vision of what I wanted out of life.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:14
2
What does Michelle Heaton say about her body image struggles?
0:14–0:20
3
How did Michelle feel about being cast on Popstars?
0:20–0:25
4
How did Michelle's addiction impact her relationships?
0:25–2:17
5
What were the early experiences of addiction for Michelle?
2:17–1:01:50
6
What emotional challenges did Michelle face after her hysterectomy?
1:01:50–1:02:51
7
How did Michelle's addiction impact her relationships?
1:02:51–1:04:03
8
What role did friends play in Michelle's journey to rehab?
1:04:03–2:09:23
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson
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