TV star talks about new documentary Being Gail Porter

A good place to be for the vivacious Scot who has battled mental health issues for most of her life.

The once sought after TV presenter has suffered from post-natal depression, anorexia, alopecia and was sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

At her lowest points, Gail battled with self-harm and ended up sleeping rough in a park bench.

Now in the new documentary Being Gail Porter, she will face all of her past head-on as she explores her own mental health.

“I don’t want a label and I don’t think there are any answers,” explains Gail.

She continued: “I just know what makes me feel better and I know what makes me feel positive. It’s taken a long time.

“It has taken being sectioned, being given medication until it’s coming out my ears.

“Now I just think the best thing for me was talking about it.

“I totally respect psychiatrists and doctors. That have got their ideas of what they think is the right way to treat things.

“But I know what makes me happy. They can give me all the labels they want.”

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At the height of her fame in the nineties, the 48-year-old appeared to have it all.

She fronted one of the UK’s biggest TV shows Top of the Pops, became a lads mag favourite with FHM beaming a nude photograph of the star onto the Houses of Parliament and married a rock star, Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave.

But in the documentary, Gail reveals the battles she endured underneath the glamour.

While the world saw a bubbly beautiful slim Scot, Gail was battling anorexia, living off Jelly Babies and was even banned from her gym due to over-exercising.

She said: “I don’t really know what people’s perceptions of me are, to be honest with you.

“I just hope people will watch it and think about each other - and think there is that bubbly Gail porter off the tele, oh we didn’t know that she was going through that.”

She added: “I had gone through a lot of those things when I was younger.

“It was hard in the younger days because you want to hide everything from everybody.”

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The one thing that Gail never hides from anyone though is the fact she is Scottish.

Sitting in the Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow City Centre, Gail is delighted to be home.

Having lived in London most of her adult life, Gail grew up in Edinburgh’s Portobello Beach. It is those roots she is proud of and even credits for her strength to overcome the issues she has faced.

She beamed: “It is a good thing I’m Scottish.

“I put it all down to being Scottish.

“I say to my daughter it is because I’m Scottish it is fine we just keep going, just keep going.”

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The documentary will see Gail return to those early roots as she films on Portobello Beach, a moment that brought so many positive memories for Gail.

“It just reminds me of my childhood,” a slightly teary-eyed Gail explains.

She continues: “We used to just walk down from my mum’s house, five minutes and we were down on the beach.

“It wasn’t the cleanest beach in the world when we were little but it was really nice to be back there.

“I used to tell people when I moved to London yeah I used to live on the beach and they went eh in Edinburgh?

“It was very nice and it was emotional.

“We did a walking shot so it gave me time to think about things, all sorts of naughty things we used to get up to when we were at school.

“When we were not supposed to be on the beach, we were supposed to be in class.”

She added: “I miss everything about Scotland but I love London.

“I miss the friendless. I miss the weather, surprisingly. I love it when it is cold and rainy.

“Don’t get me wrong I do love London and there are lots to do.

“But you know when you are having a sort of insecure moment in London it’s very lonely as much as it is the busiest place in the world.

“Whereas if I go out here after this interview someone is going to say hello, someone is going to go, ‘alright how you doing?’

“Even if they don’t know you they will just chat with you. I miss that I do miss that.”

Gail career kickstarted in Scotland when she landed a presenting role on the children’s magazine show Fully Booked.

Filmed in Glasgow’s BBC Studios on Queen Margaret Drive, Gail had just moved to London when she auditioned for the role.

She said: “I didn’t think I was going to get it to be honest with you.

“I really want to do it because I want to be back in Scotland.

“There was somebody that I thought was going to be much better than me and then I ended up getting the job and oh my gosh I loved it.

“It was the most fun. It was like a massive big family and we never stopped laughing at any point.”

During the documentary, viewers are taken on a journey that showcases Gail’s unique presenting style that made her one of the most popular TV personalities in the UK.

She said: “Suddenly you get a call saying we are interested in you presenting Top of the Pops.

“It is one of those things you think oh come on really.

“Then you are in the studio with that microphone and you just go it's Gail Porter, it’s still number one, it’s Top of the Pops. Shut up, OMG. I’ve got the best job ever.”

Her presenting jobs may have dwindled over the years but Gail has focused her energy on being a mum to daughter Honey who is now 17.

Honey was born during her marriage to Dan whom she later divorced.

She said: “She is the best girl ever.

“She is very clever and clued up. She has got a great sense of humour.

“We are friends more than anything.

“She knows I have probably gone through a lot but she has got a great dad, she’s got great grandparents on her dad’s side.

“She is just a great person to talk to but I don’t unburden everything.”

She added: “She’s not seen the documentary yet. I’m going to leave it up to her.

“I got a copy because obviously it is going to be on the telebox. I just wanted her to see it in case her friends watched it.”

Despite everything that has happened to Gail including the heartbreak of losing her mother Sandra at 60 to breast cancer in 2009 and the death of ex-boyfriend and The Prodigy star Keith Flint at 49 last year, the star says she appreciates life.

She said: “I really appreciate life.

“I have lost my mum. I have lost lots of friends.

“I just think you know what if I can just be open and talk to people and say do you know what this is?

“If I can put my hand out to you and say you are not on your own if you are going through any of those things, don’t be embarrassed because there is no point.

“You have only got one life, haven’t you?”

Her personal troubles will be the subject of a new book, due out this summer.

“It’s a little bit One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, Girl Interrupted,” said Gail.

She added: “It’s from when I got sectioned but there are lots of funny and happy things.

“You are not going to read anything about sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll.

“It’s more about being locked up and getting on with life.

“Hopefully people will like it.”

2020 may be the year for Gail to make a positive return to the spotlight between this documentary and her memoir.

But regardless of fame and fortune, Gail is in a good place.

She said: “I am bloomin' good today. I’m very happy, I’m happy to be in Scotland and I’m happy this is coming out.”

Watch Being Gail Porter on BBC Scotland on January 14.