Singer Louise Redknapp has fired back at critics who had cruel things to say about her weight gain due to medication.
The 50-year-old singer appeared on the latest episode of Fearne Cotton’s My Happy Place podcast and opened up about a series of topics.
Louise, who rose to fame in 1993 as a member of girl group Eternal, married footballer Jamie Redknapp in June 1998. However, after giving birth to their two sons, Charley, 20, and Beau, 16, their pair announced they had split in 2017.
Louise Redknapp faced ‘horrendous’ negativity following Jamie split
At the time of their separation, Louise revealed to Fearne that she faced a “barrage of judgement and nastiness”. She admitted if it wasn’t for her two sons, she “would’ve just given up”.
Louise described the negative reaction as “just horrendous”, leaving her “the lowest pretty much a person could get to”.
“I could never see a way out from how bad and low I felt at the time,” she added.
“I never realised [that] people could be so unkind and say such terrible things.”
Louise details weight gain from medication
The negative attention affected Louise deeply, to the point where she started to feel anxious and care about comments she would read about herself online.
The Arms Around The World hitmaker revealed she began to take anti-depressant tablets to help get her head above the ground. While discussing the medication, Louise said the tablets made her put on weight and detailed attending the BRITs after she had.
“It was the lesser of two evils. For some reason, I put weight on. I was unconfident in how I looked in my body and yet, at the same time, I was trying to keep my head above water. I was trying to desperately just survive in the world that we live in,” she said.
Louise recalled “hating” the pictures and how she looked from the ceremony and said she received a “whole host of nastiness” after. Despite believing society had “come such a long way”, the former Strictly star was disappointed with the reaction.
At the time, Louise admitted she wanted to come forward and tell her critics that she was on anti-depressants that made her gain weight and was really struggling. Firing back, Louise stated: “I’m sorry I’m not perfect” while explaining her “brain” was more important.
In response, Fearne told Louise’s haters to “[bleep] off!” – Go Fearne!
Singer Louise Redknapp and former footballer Jamie were introduced to one another in 1995 by Robbie Williams. At the time, Louise was a member of the pop/R&B girl group Eternal and was on tour with Robbie’s band Take That.
After originally forming a friendship, Louise and Jamie began dating.
Jamie Redknapp marries Louise in Bermuda
While on vacation in Bermuda in 1998, Jamie got down on one knee and proposed to Louise. A week later, the pair walked down the aisle on the beach.
Reflecting on their big day, Louise told the Daily Mail in 2017 that the high-profile couple had a “private” wedding. “Neither of us wanted a big, glitzy wedding,” she told the newspaper.
Jamie and Louise enjoyed their honeymoon at Elbow Beach, which Louise named her 2000 album after.
Louise and Jamie welcome two sons
Six years after saying “I do” Louise and Jamie welcomed their first son, Charles William Redknapp, in London in 2004.
Two years later, they had another son, Beau Henry Redknapp, in November 2008.
By the time Louise reached the age of 40, she expressed her desire for having a daughter. She said: “I am on a short time span. I need to do it quickly if I’m going to do it. I’m fully aware that I don’t have years to wait.
“I know how close I am to my mum. I’ll always be close to my boys but it’s a boys’ club and I can feel a bit left out.”
Strictly curse?
After stepping back from her music and television career to focus on being a mum, Louise signed herself up for Strictly in 2017. Partnered with Kevin Clinton, she finished as runner-up.
After scaling back her work to raise her family, the show reminded Louise of her first love – performing. At the same time, headlines suggested Louise and Jamie were the latest couple to be impacted by the infamous Strictly curse. On this occasion, this proved to be true.
By December, they filed for divorce.
Jamie and Louise move on
Following their split, Jamie got remarried – to model Frida Andersson – in 2021. That same year, they welcomed a son, Raphael.
Louise too has also moved on. In 2023, she confirmed her relationship with businessman Drew Michael.
Read more: Louise Redknapp set for ‘best year yet’ as she ‘considers marrying’ boyfriend Drew Michael
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