Latest news with #ImposterSyndrome
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Craig David admits health battle saw him plummet into a 'dark place'
Singing sensation Craig David admitted his excessive exercise regime left him with a serious injury that effected his mental health as he believed life 'wasn't worth living' Craig David became a pin-up for most women around the world during his hey day as an award winning music artist. And it wasn't just his catchy songs that earned him a legion of fans, his sculpted appearance also played a major part. But now, it has emerged that his desperation to maintain a toned physique saw him develop an obsession with exercise which soon spiralled out of control. His intense work out regimes resulted in a serious back injury in 2017, leaving him on the brink of depression. At the peak of his intense workouts, the 44 year old singer had only 4.5 per cent body fat. According to the World Health Organisation a healthy body fat percentage for a man under 40 years old, which was his age at the time, is between eight and 20 per cent. Even an athlete at the peak of their career would generally not have a body fat percentage less than six per cent. In a recent interview, Craig said that his obsession had a major impact on his social life as it made him avoid seeing friends. He told The Times: "I was cancelling going out with friends because I was like, 'Nah, I've got to do my cardio tonight.' What life was that? I'm not a body builder." Craig then suffered an excruciating back injury in 2017 which left him depressed as he found himself unable to continue his workouts. The music star's injury "involved a degenerative disc." Recalling his injury he told the publication: "My world was closing in. I needed to get rid of the pain and I went to a dark place where I thought, 'I don't think I'm going to make it.'" Craig soon spiralled out of control and while he did not experience suicide thoughts, his depression made him feel as though he had nothing to live for. He explained: "I never got to the point where I was thinking of ways to end this but I thought life wasn't worth living and I would be happier if I wasn't here any more." The singer has now turned his life around and is practicing celibacy. The star has also written a book titled What's Your Vibe, which aims to dispel the myth that life as a celebrity is "glitzy and perfect." He has also shared details of his battle with his body image when he appeared in the BBC documentary Imposter Syndrome. While appearing on the programme, he opened up on how he'd ended up experiencing body dysmorphia. In the documentary, he said: "I was down to like 4.5% body fat and I'm still thinking, 'if I can just get it down that… which is a very, body-building, like, lifestyle. "But now, sitting here, I feel like I had to go back to the little kid who is carrying a bit of weight, [who was] the shoulder to cry on and be like, 'you know what, you always had everything that you could have ever had wanted'. It was never about the body."
RNZ News
23-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
How to conquer your inner critic
Many of us suffer from Imposter Syndrome, when the inner critic in us doesn't think we are good enough. Even former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern spoke about it in her speech at Yale this week. Alison Shamir is an expert in this field and has written a book called Conquer Your Imposter, a guide to help high achievers reclaim their self-worth. She told Jesse how we can conquer Imposter Syndrome. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Robson Green breaks silence on 'terribly destructive' issue ahead of TV return
Despite starring in a multitude of projects, including Paramount's new thriller The Game, Robson Green admits that he suffers from major anxiety each time he gears up to go on set. He's one of our favourite actors - but Robson Green has revealed he suffers from crippling Imposter Syndrome on set. The actor, 60, has thrilled fans in everything from Soldier, Soldier to Grantchester and even enjoyed a 90s pop career with his pal Jerome Flynn. However, despite decades of success, Robson Green admits he still battles self-doubt. 'I suffer from anticipatory fear' he says, 'I project as an actor. I have an image of how things should be and I work things out in my head. This is terribly destructive.' However, once the camera starts rolling, he finds it all falls into place. Robson adds, 'Suddenly, you're there and all of that worry goes because your theatre training kicks in.' Robson landed on the set of Paramount 's new thriller The Game two weeks behind his co-stars, Sunetra Sarker and Jason Watkins. But there was no time for confusion. 'I came in late,' Robson says, 'I didn't know what was going but I hit the ground running.' Set in Spain's Basque Country, The Game is a tense four-part psychological thriller that reunites former Being Human co-stars, Robson and Jason. Here, Jason plays Huw, a retired detective still tormented by the case he never cracked - the Ripton Stalker. Years earlier, the serial killer narrowly evaded capture, leaving Huw with nothing but the memory of their voice - and a haunting sense of failure. When a neighbour's apparent suicide and the arrival of a new face, Robson's character Patrick, reignite old suspicions, Huw becomes convinced his old nemesis is back. As he spirals deeper into obsession, his marriage, reputation and sanity hang in the balance. 'He's just a regular guy in extremis trying to work it all out,' Jason says. In the original script, Huw was a keen runner - but Jason quickly vetoed that. 'I can't really run anymore because of my attempts at professional football as a teenager,' he says. 'My knees aren't what they should be. So I made it quite clear early on that I wouldn't be running, only cycling and playing golf.' Robson still can't get over his pal's skills, grinning: 'He's got a very good swing!' Sunetra Sarker, on the other hand, plays Huw's long-suffering wife Alice - and she couldn't be more different from her on-screen character. 'Alice was the voice of reason,' she says, 'It's very different from the real Sunetra.' Alice and Huw start the series close, but his obsession with Patrick drives a wedge between them. It's not the first time Huw's struggled. 'He was sectioned for a couple of weeks,' Sunetra says, 'They've rebuilt things but his obsession triggers her trauma too.' Despite the heavy themes, Sunetra loved working with Jason and Robson - and her mum was impressed too. 'She couldn't believe I was working with Robson Green,' she says. Both actors are veterans with long careers filled with iconic roles, from Touching Evil and Wire in the Blood for Robson to The Crown and Line of Duty for Jason. Behind the scenes, Sunetra and Jason built up Alice and Huw's bond by staying in character, even off camera. 'They've got these pet names and in-jokes,' she says, 'Jason and I did the same whenever we could.' Jason adds: 'But the more Huw tries to convince Alice he's right about Patrick, the more insane he seems. He wants peace in his retirement but he can't let this case go.' Meanwhile, Robson relished the challenge of playing Patrick - the charming, unsettling newcomer with a dark edge. 'I'm addicted to true crime,' he says, 'I'm fascinated by destructive behaviour - where it comes from and how it destroys people's lives.' To prepare, Robson drew inspiration from James DeAngelo, the notorious Golden State Killer, also known as the Original Night Stalker. 'He would invade people's homes and mess with their heads,' Robson adds. Despite the series' dark subject matter, the shoot itself was anything but grim. Filming in Spain felt like a summer adventure for the cast, with daily group drives to set and plenty of off-camera laughs. 'It felt like going to summer school,' Sunetra says, 'We were living like students.' A lively WhatsApp group kept the fun going. Robson jokes: 'I'm glad you don't have eyes on it!' The Basque Country provided another major perk: incredible food. 'Many a Spanish meal was had in the Basque Country,' Robson says, 'I was certainly well looked after.' He even got to share the experience with his son Taylor, who visited him during filming. 'We spent time in San Sebastian and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao,' he says, 'He's a history nut so he loved it!' More than anything, Robson was thrilled to work with Jason again. When his agent mentioned Jason's involvement, he signed up immediately for The Game. 'I love reconnecting with people I've worked with before,' Robson says. 'Watching their careers and journeys from afar, it's a joy.' Even the demanding schedule - which initially worried Robson - turned out to be a blessing. 'We shot a huge showdown with Jason in just half a day,' Robson says, 'What I thought would be stressful was actually joyous.' With powerhouse performances and a nail-biting storyline set against the Spanish backdrop, The Game promises to leave viewers questioning whether the real danger lies in the monsters we chase - or the ones closer to home.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lainey Wilson wins ACM Entertainer of the Year award for second year
Lainey Wilson admitted she suffers with imposter syndrome as she accepted the Entertainer of the Year prize at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards for the second year in a row. The 32-year-old singer scooped the coveted accolade ahead of Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Combs, Cody Johnson, Jelly Roll, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen and took the time to praise her fellow nominees, as well as her fans, in her acceptance speech at Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, on Thursday (08.05.25) night. Accepting the prize from Blake Shelton, she said: "I love every single one of y'all in this category, and y'all have taken me under y'all's wings and took me out on the road with you, asked me to be on songs, supported me in every way that you possibly can. "I will tell you this: I'm sure everybody deals with a little bit of imposter syndrome, but I won't lie to you. I have a little bit. But I read something not long ago that that just said, 'If something is given to you, then you need to accept it with an open heart and an open mind.' And I just appreciate it. "I really do have the best fans in the world." The '4x4xU' hitmaker went on to tell a story from her childhood about her moments in the spotlight at home. She said: "I remember I was thinking about it earlier this morning — I was just trying to like wrap my head around today — and I remember, my parents had this old hunting spotlight that we used to take off the charger all the time. "And my sister would turn all the lights off in the house and she would shine the spotlight on me as I was running back and forth across the living room. I dreamed about entertaining. I love making people feel things. I love making people laugh and smile and cry. I'm sorry, I like to make you cry, because I love to feel things. "Everybody loves to feel things. And country music has given me more than I deserve. "And I appreciate everybody in this room. My heart is so full. Thank you so much. God bless every single one of y'all. I don't even know what else to say." The Entertainer of the Year prize capped off a successful evening for Lainey, as she also won Female Artist of the Year, Album of the Year for 'Whirlwind' and Artist-Songwriter of the Year. Ella Langley also had a successful night, bagging New Female Artist of the Year, as well as a string of prizes for her and Riley Green's duet 'you look like you love me', which won Single of the Year, Music Event of the Year and Visual Media of the Year. Meanwhile, Keith Urban was recognised with the prestigious Triple Crown Award and was honoured with a musical tribute of some of his hits from Megan Moroney, Chris Stapleton - who won Male Artist of the Year - and Brothers Osborne. After thanking them for their "amazing" performance, Keith - who was the first to win the prize since Carrie Underwood in 2010 - paid tribute to his wife Nicole Kidman and their daughters Sunday, 16, and 14-year-old Faith. He said: "My wife, Nicole Mary, is here tonight. I love you, babygirl. And our girls Sunday and Faith watching at home tonight, I love you both, too. "I have a massive team that I couldn't possibly thank by name, but I want to thank my team for working so insanely hard behind the scenes, 'cause there's no such thing as a self-made man. I wanna thank my road band and my road family. And I wanna say a special thanks to all the fans that have been coming out to see us play. I really appreciate it." Other winners at the ceremony, which was hosted by Reba McEntire, included Brooks and Dunn, who took home Duo of the Year, Old Dominion, who were named Group of the Year for a record-breaking eighth year in a row, and Zach Top, who was named Best Male New Artist of the Year. 2025 ACM Awards list of winners: Entertainer of the Year: Lainey Wilson Female Artist of the Year: Lainey Wilson Male Artist of the Year: Chris Stapleton Duo of the Year: Brooks + Dunn Group of the Year: Old Dominion New Female Artist of the Year: Ella Langley New Male Artist of the Year: Zach Top New Duo or Group of the Year: The Red Clay Strays Album of the Year: 'Whirlwind' - Lainey Wilson Single of the Year: 'you look like you love me' - Ella Langley, Riley Green Song of the Year: 'Dirt Cheap' - Cody Johnson Music Event of the Year: 'you look like you love me' - Ella Langley, Riley Green Visual Media of the Year: 'you look like you love me' - Ella Langley, Riley Green Artist-Songwriter of the Year: Lainey Wilson — WINNER Songwriter of the Year: Jessie Jo Dillon
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Top Kiwis on how they stay positive
Luckily, I was born a positive person. I have just always held a deep belief that I was a lucky girl and things were going to turn out as planned, no matter how many times it seemed unlikely. Call it wishful thinking, call it privilege, but it's always worked. So the only thing that tends to threaten my positivity is that little voice in my head called Imposter Syndrome. That's the one telling you you're not worthy, or you're not good enough. So I sit down with that voice before I perform, remind it that everybody is here because they want me to succeed and what's the worst that could happen ... and it tends to go away! Matt Heath, ZB Afternoons host and author of A life Less Punishing – 13 Ways To Love The Life You Got I am a fan of the philosopher William B. Irvine's approach. Everyone experiences obstacles professionally and personally. We feel set upon by admin, the economy, bad luck and sometimes other humans. Irvine flips this. He rebrands obstacles as challenges. If you can face a setback with strength, virtue, calmness and competence, you pass the test, get stronger and earn the right to feel pride in yourself. If you freak out, give up or blame others – you fail the challenge. It's a simple perspective trick. You are not set upon by events and obstacles in your path, you have been gifted an opportunity to show yourself what you are made of. It sounds simple but it keeps me positive. With this mindset, you almost look forward to the challenges of life. World-renowned lighting designer David Trubridge from Whakatū, Hawke's Bay. These last years of difficulty have brought me back home to Hawke's Bay. Most of our lighting production used to be exported before Covid. But now we sell most in Aotearoa. That, for me, is a great positive. I believe it is the way the world has to go: local. World politics is scary and unsettling. But the environmental news is far worse. Let's build our local community resilience and reduce our carbon footprint. We have just signed up for Buy NZ Made. Liam Messam, former All Blacks and Chiefs player and current Chiefs athlete development coach My old man was a wise man who always told me to focus on the positives in life, and that's something I've carried with me every day. For me, it's all about looking after my body and my mind – staying strong physically and mentally. That's why I hit the gym, get a sweat on and put in the mahi. Nothing beats that feeling after a solid workout – it sharpens the mind, lifts the wairua [spirit] and sets the tone for the rest of my day. Beach Hop organiser Noddy Watts I don't let little things become big things. I tell myself that everything will always work out and the worst scenario won't happen. I try to laugh at the challenges I face rather than be afraid of them. I like to turn things upside down to find a solution to an issue – say something ridiculous to change the brain's pathway. Eliminate the negative things in my life and surround myself with positive people. I won't catch other people's negativity and let it go past me – if I try to catch it then it sticks. Toby Williams – Pihitia Station at Whāngārā near Gisborne, current meat and wool chairman of New Zealand Federated Farmers 'I love the saying, you can't eat an elephant in one bite, but you can eat an elephant one bite at a time,' Toby Williams says. 'The focus should be on what you have done rather than what is left.' Williams prefers to focus on what he can control. 'I can't control prices or weather, but I can make a plan to deal with both good and bad.' Williams tries to keep a focus on his family and doing things together. 'I like to get off the farm and, when I do, I play golf. While that can be frustrating, I have great mates to play with and the beer always tastes better when you have played with mates.' Writer Airini Beautrais Even when I am feeling low, I try to find solace in nature. Something like a friendly spider in the bathroom, baby swans at the local lake, or watching a bee collecting pollen in a flower. I like to walk or cycle along the awa [river] and see the tidal movements, the light on the water, trees and birds. The world can be such a difficult place, it is good to remember there are also beautiful things all around us. Taupō author In running a small business, there are always challenges, things go wrong and problem-solving is part of daily life. I've learned that staying positive is about perspective, focusing on what is working and being grateful for what I have. I also find purpose in giving back. Through my social media, I proudly support Kura Kai as a brand ambassador. A great charity that provides hearty, home-cooked meals for freezers in local schools. Showcasing their work helps raise awareness and ensures more whānau in need are supported. One NZ CEO Jason Paris I believe that New Zealand is the greatest country to live and work in and that it's a privilege to be able to call yourself a Kiwi. Whenever I hear people talking about New Zealand's challenges or shortfalls, I try and talk about the opportunities and upside available. Whenever I hear negative stories about our economy, I share stories about New Zealanders that have ambition, are taking risks and going for growth. Having the mindset that every challenge is an opportunity is important for New Zealand's future success. Suzy Cato, children's entertainer There's something about travelling north, over the Brynderwyns, that lifts my spirits. I can't fully explain it. It's like bubbles of excitement that rise from my puku [tummy]; making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and my eyes glisten with tears. It's a feeling that I don't get to experience often enough, so I tend to find solace in music – music lifts and shifts me out of the blues and that's the reason I wrote the song Sprinkle a Little Sunshine with Kath Bee – to hopefully lift and shift the mood of tamariki [children] with something upbeat and positive. Thank you to all the renowned Kiwis who shared a bit more about their strategies for staying positive and navigating adversity. On that note, it feels fitting to end this story with Suzy's song:
