Billie Piper has disclosed the true motive behind her departure from the music scene, despite achieving success as a ‘bona fide’ pop sensation with three chart-topping singles.
The 41-year-old actress initially rose to prominence with her breakout hit “Because We Want To” in 1998, becoming the youngest female artist to debut atop the charts at just 15 years old.
However, Billie chose to conclude her pop career in 2003, redirecting her focus towards acting. She now reflects on her time in the music industry, labeling herself as a ‘charlatan’.
During an appearance on Friday’s Heart Breakfast she told host Jamie Theakston:
‘I went back into acting because I studied acting before I was signed as a singer and that was my greatest passion.
‘I wanted to return to that, I felt a bit out of place in the music industry?’.
When asked to elaborate she continued:
‘It wasn’t, I felt a bit of a charlatan really, I was a massive fan of music and I could hold a tune, but I never felt like a genuine musician I guess’.
Despite Jamie’s protestations Billie said:
‘I loved dancing, I loved performing, I loved live shows but I found the industry too taxing towards the end, it was just too much, it was such hard work, I’ve never worked as hard as I did as a child since’.
Following her transition back to acting, Billie secured the iconic role of Rose Tyler in the 2005 revival of “Doctor Who,” marking the beginning of her illustrious television career.
In addition to her memorable portrayal in “Doctor Who,” she has graced screens in a multitude of TV series and films.
Not limited to acting, Billie ventured into writing, crafting the acclaimed series “I Hate Suzy” for Sky Atlantic. Moreover, she showcased her versatility by both writing and directing her own feature film, “Rare Beasts,” released in 2019.
Most recently, audiences witnessed her talent in the role of BBC producer Sam McAlister in Netflix’s “Scoop,” a gripping narrative revolving around Prince Andrew’s tumultuous Newsnight interview.
In a recent revelation, Billie Piper shared her unsettling experience of being enveloped by male music executives during her teenage years, which left her feeling ‘unhinged.’
Speaking with British Vogue, she candidly discussed how achieving fame at a tender age had a profound and enduring effect on her mental well-being, a realization that surfaced in her early thirties.
Billie explained:
‘Sometimes I wanted to appeal to them, so that I could feel safe. Sometimes I wanted to be them because it looked like they were having a better time than I was.
‘It was a period of time in the 1990s where it was just very, very male heavy. I felt a huge amount of frustration about that and I carried that into my romantic relationships.’
She recalled:
‘There was something very, very sobering about that time and letting go of people that weren’t very healthy for me. Unfortunately, a lot of that has been in relation to men I suppose.’
Speaking about how past trauma impacted her relationships, Billie mused:
‘It’s coming out of your 20s, there’s enough stuff in your life to look over and go, “Oh, that’s been a pattern of behaviour.”
‘There was a point where I realised I had been drawn into siding with men on a lot of things. I became incredibly frustrated and angry about that.
‘I felt very unhinged in my early 30s and kind of mentally not well. There was something very, very sobering about that time and letting go of people that weren’t very healthy for me. Unfortunately, a lot of that has been in relation to men I suppose.’
Billie Piper stirred controversy by marrying DJ Chris Evans in 2001, when she was merely 18 and he was 35.
Their union raised eyebrows, especially after it was revealed they exchanged vows in a casual Las Vegas ceremony, attended by just six guests, merely a year after meeting on Chris’ TV show, TFI Friday.
The significant 16-year age gap between them didn’t go unnoticed, as Billie reminisced about enduring public scrutiny and street harassment due to their age difference.
Reflecting on that period, she expressed bewilderment at the enduring fascination with her first marriage.
She mused:
‘People still ask me about it at parties. Strangers! It was 20 years ago. It makes slightly more sense to constantly be asked about husband number two [Laurence Fox], but even then I resent that because we’ve been separated for almost 10 years.’
Billie, who openly confessed to a period of being ‘completely hammered for three years’ during her marriage to Chris, experienced their split in 2004, culminating in divorce proceedings finalized in 2007.
Despite the tumultuous times, she maintains there’s no animosity towards Chris, acknowledging him as one of the ‘good guys.’
Following her divorce from Chris, Billie ventured into marriage again, this time with controversial activist Laurence Fox in 2007.
However, their union was short-lived, with Billie securing a ‘quickie’ divorce in 2016. The aftermath saw a prolonged custody battle over their sons, Winston (12) and Eugene (eight), amidst the split.