Angela Scanlon feeling 'judged' in 15-year eating disorder battle

Daily Mirror

5 hours ago

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.
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'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!'
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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.'
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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.'
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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.
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'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.'
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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.'
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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