Billie Piper has opened up about dealing with fame in her career, admitting that the thought of her children following her path makes her ‘feel sick’.
The actress, 41, is mother to sons Winston, 12, and Eugene, eight, with her ex-husband Laurence Fox and daughter Tallulah, four, with former partner Johnny Lloyd.
Billie has been in the showbiz industry since she was a child herself, getting her start as a singer and signing her first record deal at the age of 14.
She became the youngest artist to debut at number one in the UK Singles Chart with Because We Want To and had another number one with her follow up Girlfriend.
She soon transitioned into acting and met further success starring in Doctor Who, Secret Diary of a Call Girl and I Hate Suzie, gaining four BAFTA nods and winning a Laurence Olivier Award.
Billie Piper has opened up about dealing with fame in her career, admitting that the thought of her children following her path makes her ‘feel sick’ (pictured Wednesday)
The actress, 41, has been in the showbiz industry since she was a child herself, getting her start as a singer and signing her first record deal at the age of 14 (pictured in 1998)
Billie has confessed that she still struggles to deal with the fame aspect of her career, saying it can make her ‘feel physically unwell’ and be ‘incredibly dark’ at times (pictured Wednesday)
However, Billie has confessed that she still struggles to deal with the fame aspect of her career, saying it can make her ‘feel physically unwell’ and be ‘incredibly dark’ at times.
She explained that due to being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age, ‘fame is kind of all I know, and I’ve been exposed to all of it’, so will do ‘everything in my power’ not to let her children go through the same thing.
Speaking to The Observer, she said: ‘It’s the thing I like least about my job. I have such a weird dance with it. I wish I could do my job, and not have to feel the heat of it.
‘What I’ve always struggled with, especially when I was younger, was the responsibility of it: I felt I had to be a good child because I was an idol for young girls.
‘I couldn’t stand the burden of that, and I get it now that I’ve had kids. It’s not fair or realistic to expect that of a child.
‘Sometimes, it makes me feel physically unwell, and then people say: well, why do you still do it? The answer is that I love what I do, but actually I feel quite shy in many ways.
‘I’ve become very precious about my privacy, obviously, but I continue to struggle with it if I’m honest. It can be incredibly dark.’
Billie added that with fame comes people treating you differently, describing it as ‘either disproportionately horrible, or disproportionately kind’.
She explained that due to being thrust into the spotlight at such a young age, ‘fame is kind of all I know, and I’ve been exposed to all of it’, so will do ‘everything in my power’ not to let her children go through the same thing (pictured in 1998)
Thankfully, Billie recently revealed that her children are less than interested in her career or fame so far during an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show earlier this month (pictured)
She said that this even extends to your family, as they ‘almost stop seeing you as a member of the family’, which has a knock on effect the social network.
She said: ‘That’s why the idea of my children becoming famous makes me feel sick – not that they are showing any interest, but I would do everything in my power not to let them go near that until they’re adults.’
Thankfully, Billie recently revealed that her children are less than interested in her career or fame so far.
During an appearance on The Jonathan Ross Show earlier this month, she opened up on their opinions and admitted: ‘My elder one couldn’t give a sh*t, which I actually like, I think that’s a healthier response.
‘I think I’ve got a fan in my youngest child, she will watch my music videos and ask to play my songs in the car and I’ll oblige.’
She continued: ‘I was 14 when I signed my record deal, the same age as my eldest son which blows my mind but he isn’t that interested which I think is fine.’
She added: ‘They have no interest in me being in Doctor Who but they will come to a convention where there’s access to real famous people, genuine stars if there is access to Stranger Things, Marvel or Lord of the Rings.’
Billie has been busy promoting her new Netflix movie, Scoop, which dramatises the notorious 2019 interview between Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis.
Billie has been busy promoting her new Netflix movie, Scoop, which dramatises the notorious 2019 interview between Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis, in which she plays Newsnight producer Sam McAlister (pictured in film)
The film is based on Sam’s novel, Scoops, and stars Rufus Sewell (pictured) as the disgraced prince and Gillian Anderson as journalist Emily
Speaking about taking on the role of a real person, Billie (left) said she felt she had an easier job than Rufus and Gillian, as she was able to speak to Sam (pictured right last month)
She said: ‘Really, I felt so relaxed around Sam. She’s so easy to be around, and that made my job a lot easier’ (pictured together at Scoop premiere on Wednesday)
She stars as Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who successfully negotiated and secured the interview which quizzed the Duke about his friendship with the late-convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein.
The film is based on Sam’s novel, Scoops, and stars Rufus Sewell as the disgraced prince and Gillian Anderson as journalist Emily.
Speaking about taking on the role of a real person, Billie said she felt she had an easier job than Rufus and Gillian, as she was able to speak to Sam.
She said: ‘I had more freedom than Gillian and Rufus, who play people who are very public-facing. I could cherry pick more than them, but I could also talk to Sam. In a way, I had the best of both worlds.
‘Really, I felt so relaxed around Sam. She’s so easy to be around, and that made my job a lot easier.’
In the infamous interview, Emily discussed Virginia Giuffre‘s claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 under the orders of Epstein.
The prince strongly denied the accusations throughout the interview, making a series of bizarre claims – including insisting he couldn’t have been with Virginia at the time of the alleged encounter because he was dining at a Pizza Express in Woking and that a medical condition left him unable to sweat.
The discussion has since gained notoriety and is widely acknowledged to have embarrassed the royals, being described as a ‘car crash’.
In the infamous interview, Emily discussed Virginia Giuffre ‘s claims that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times when she was 17 under the orders of Epstein (moment pictured in film)
On November 20, 2019, a statement from Buckingham Palace said Prince Andrew was suspended from public duties ‘for the foreseeable future’.
Then, in May 2020, it was announced that the prince was permanently stepping down from his public roles.
In January 2022, Virginia was given the go-ahead to sue Andrew for unspecified damages in a New York civil court.
Despite vowing to fight the claims and repeatedly protesting his innocence, the prince agreed to pay a huge sum to settle the case before it ever reached a jury.
Netflix describes the production as portraying: ‘The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen’s ‘Favourite son’.
‘From navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal – to the jaw dropping interview itself.
‘SCOOP is the insider account of the inner workings of the Palace and the BBC, twin bastions of the British Establishment, spotlighting the journalists whose tenacity and guts broke through the highest of ceilings – and into the inner sanctum and calculations of a man with everything to lose.’
In November 2019, Buckingham Palace said Prince Andrew was suspended from public duties ‘for the foreseeable future’ and in May 2020, he permanently stepped down from his public roles (pictured at Easter service on Sunday)
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