Strictly Come Dancing star John Whaite once revealed that he ended up ‘derailed and depressed’ after his Great British Bake Off victory.
John came out on top on the Great British Bake Off back in 2012 at the age of 23. He has since gone on to forge a career on British TV.
What did Strictly star John say in 2019?
Writing in the Telegraph back in 2019, John warned contestants of the series to be careful with what they wished for. His comments came ahead of the tenth series of the hit show – a series which David Atherton eventually won.
“Some days I’d wish I had never been on the show, because in reality, it totally derailed me from my steady lifepath,” the Strictly star wrote.
“I could blame the production company or the BBC,” he had continued. “It would be simple to point the finger and say they gave me no advice on how to manage the transience of the industry, or how to comprehend the temporariness of my appeal.”
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The current Strictly contestant continued to criticise the BBC in his Telegraph article back in 2019.
He added: “They didn’t [give advice], and perhaps, in the wake of reality TV star meltdowns and suicides, there should be a serious reform of the way contributors are prepared for, and guided through, their post-show life.”
What else did John write at the time?
John had then gone on to say that he became addicted to the ‘razzle dazzle’ of fame.
Meanwhile, John wrote then that as the years went by, the financial offers for his services became smaller and more spaced out.
He said with more days “alone at home” waiting “by the phone”, his “already depressed state of mind worsened”.
John went on to talk about how he “drank more than he should have” during this period of his life. He also posted “unwisely” on his social media accounts.
The current Strictly star then wrote at the time that contestants shouldn’t be “diluted” by their experiences of fame.
What has Strictly star John done since 2019?
Since John wrote that confession to the Telegraph, he has continued to appear on British TV. Since 2020 he has been making regular appearances on Steph’s Packed Lunch on Channel 4.
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Fans of Strictly will have been following his journey on the show for a few weeks now. John and his dance partner, Johannes Radebe, are the first male same-sex couple in the competition. They are currently in the final six couples in the competition.
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