Gail Porter was one of the biggest pin-ups of the 90s along with the likes of Kelly Brook, Jodie Marsh and Katie Price.
She first made her name hosting shows such as Fully Booked and Top of the Pops, before becoming a favourite of the lads’ mags during the late ’90s.
The star became known for her sex positive attitude and, most famously, for having her nude image projected onto the Houses of Parliament as part of FHM’s 1999 ‘100 Sexiest Women’ campaign – a moment that cemented her status as a household name.
But behind the glossy covers, her life told a different story and by 2005, things had begun to unravel.
She lost her home, her career and her confidence as she faced a long battle with mental health struggles, alopecia and bankruptcy.
So how did one of the most in-demand stars end up now spending Christmas alone?
Gail Porter was one of the biggest pin-ups of the 90s along with the likes of Kelly Brook , Jodie Marsh and Katie Price (pictured in 1999)
The star became known for speaking openly about orgasms and, most famously, for having her nude image projected onto the Houses of Parliament as part of FHM’s 1999 ‘100 Sexiest Women’ campaign – a moment that cemented her status as a household name
But behind the glossy covers, her life told a different story and by 2005, things had begun to unravel (pictured 2025)
Following the breakdown of her marriage to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave, whom she shares daughter Honey, 23, with, Gail lost her hair to alopecia in 2005.
Alopecia is a chronic condition which causes the immune system to attack hair follicles.
It came out of nowhere and happened in just four weeks, while Gail was away from home filming in the US.
Her long blonde locks fell out in clumps on her pillow while she slept, along with her eyelashes and eyebrows.
She famously refused to wear wigs, saying she wanted to stay authentic – but job offers quickly dried up.
The presenter previously explained on the Sacrifice and Success podcast: ‘My personality took a bit of a knock. Jobs just stopped, because you don’t look the same.
”Would you wear a wig, would you mind wearing a wig?’ No I don’t want to wear a wig. This is how it is.’
After her TV career ‘just stopped’, she was left homeless and without money.
Following the breakdown of her marriage to Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave, whom she shares daughter Honey, 23, with, Gail lost her hair to alopecia in 2005 (pictured with ex-husband Dan in 2001)
It came out of nowhere and happened in just four weeks, while Gail was away from home filming in the US (pictured 2007)
Gail explained: ‘I was going through a divorce, no money coming in. So eventually I had nowhere to stay. It just went from bad to worse.
‘Things like, what do you do? Do I drink? I’ve got no clue whatsoever, I don’t take drugs so…’
Gail recalled that at one point, she also did not have enough credit on her phone to be able to get in contact with anyone.
‘So there were a few times I didn’t have enough money on my phone to call anybody.
‘If I found a pound I was thinking, what do I do with a pound? I’ll see if I can find another one and get a mini bottle of wine from the local off license or those little ones.
‘Anything for comfort. I was freezing as well, because I was outside.’
In 2011, she was battling with an eating disorder, anorexia, post-natal depression and being diagnosed bipolar.
It resulted in Gail being bundled into the back of a police van and taken to a psychiatric unit where she would be sectioned and forcibly held for nearly a month.
In 2011, she was battling with an eating disorder, anorexia, post-natal depression and being diagnosed bipolar(pictured in 1999)
It resulted in Gail being bundled into the back of a police van and taken to a psychiatric unit where she would be sectioned and forcibly held for nearly a month (pictured in October 2024)
That same day she sent a text message to her boyfriend that read: ‘I can’t carry on. I feel suicidal.’
After being taken to the Royal Free Hospital in North London, Gail’s mental welfare was deemed so unstable she was placed under a 28-day section order which forced her to remain as an in-patient at the Grove Clinic, alongside paranoid schizophrenics and violent patients on suicide watch.
Speaking about the her ‘horrible’ experience in a psychiatric unit, she claimed that doctors ‘didn’t know what to do with me.’
Appearing on Loose Women in 2022, she told the panel: ‘When I was sectioned, they just didn’t know what to do with me.
‘Because I was so depressed, they medicated me in the morning and evening.
‘They had me on watch, it was horrible. There was a lady talking to god down the toilet – it was very scary.’
Three weeks into her sectioning, Gail was told she would be allowed to go home after a third doctor assessed her and decided she could continue her treatment as a day patient at the Tavistock Centre, her local mental health centre.
She did for a few weeks until she felt her condition hadn’t improved enough and she decided to fly to Thailand for a two-week rehabilitation programme at the Chiang Mai clinic.
However, after her struggles with depression, anorexia and self-harm, the presenter found herself at her lowest point in 2014 when an unforeseen tax demand left her financially devastated (pictured in 2020)
The clinic, which specialises in the treatment of addiction, offers counselling for 27 patients at a time and is set inside a luxury resort.
Gail said it was the process there that allowed her to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
On her return to the UK at the time, she said she felt better than at any period over those last two years.
‘The treatment was focused on talking through our problems and looking towards the future. There was exercise every day and a programme of activities,’ Gail said.
However, after her struggles with depression, anorexia and self-harm, the presenter found herself at her lowest point in 2014 when an unforeseen tax demand left her financially devastated.
‘I was an idiot. I kept getting bills and instead of dealing with them, I would just put them under my pillow unopened,’ Gail said on Loose Women in 2017.
‘I ran away from everything and things got worse. They weren’t huge bills.’
Gail spent time sofa surfing and even a brief spell rough sleeping in London’s Hampstead Heath.
Gail spent time sofa surfing and even a brief spell rough sleeping in London’s Hampstead Heath
She was forced to put all of her belongings into a storage facility, but was never able to get them back as she couldn’t afford the payments.
‘I watch that programme Storage Wars, just in case I see my stuff on the tele,’ she said during an appearance on Good Morning Britain in 2024.
The memory of trying to keep her clothes clean while finding a roof over her head has stayed with her.
‘If I got money I’d end up going to the laundrette and that was a good tenner gone,’ she told Big Issue. ‘I wanted my clothes to be clean and give myself a little bit of self-respect. But anything costs you money.’
Gail revealed she did not ask for help because she was embarrassed.
She explained on the Sacrifice and Success podcast: ‘I had loads of great friends but it was getting embarrassing, because I’m in my forties. My daughter’s staying at her dads.
‘I’ve got no money, I’ve got no work, I’m sleeping on people’s couches. It was like the Young Ones. I didn’t think I was going to be like this at my age.
‘This is why you don’t take everything for granted. You must always remember how lucky you are and be extremely kind. ‘
She did eventually reach out to her family and friends for support and went on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015, managing to use the fee for a flat deposit.
The mother-of-one confirmed that she now lives off just £200 each month, after paying the rent on her flat in North West London.
She did eventually reach out to her family and friends for support and went on Celebrity Big Brother in 2015
Since then, Gail has managed to rebuild her life with the help of charity work, exercise, and a renewed sense of purpose.
She even picked up a BAFTA for her 2020 documentary Being Gail Porter.
These days, she’s focused on supporting others through organisations like the Samaritans and Prince William’s Homewards campaign, which aims to tackle homelessness across the UK.
Opening up about her work with Prince William, Gail said: ‘I’ve got 100 percent in it because it’s the most I’ve seen happen about homelessness since I was homeless.
‘He’s just been such a strong advocate and because of his position in our country and all of the world, I think other people from other countries are asking about Homewards,’ she added.
‘He works very hard and it’s just an absolute pleasure.’
However, she still worries that she could find herself in that situation again.
She said Good Morning Britain in March: ‘I’m very aware of it because it can happen to any of us, any time.
‘I still have that fear that it can just take a bad turn and you haven’t got enough savings. It can happen to anyone.’
Most recently, Gail shared a heartbreaking Instagram post earlier this month reflecting on her loneliness as the festive season approaches.
Most recently, Gail shared a heartbreaking Instagram post earlier this month reflecting on her loneliness as the festive season approaches
The TV star posted a selfie with a cap pulled down over her face as she admitted she was feeling deflated after missing out on a ticket to see her favourite band Radiohead.
‘The Sunday face when a charity you work for offers a ‘thank you’ with a ticket to one of your favourites… (clue in this post!)then messages to say… oh sorry… you can’t have the ticket now. Our bad! Oh well. Lucky I don’t cry too easily,’ she wrote.
Gail followed the post with another in which she revealed that a friend had failed to invite her over for Christmas.
‘And last moan…. I promise,’ she wrote. ‘I did a job for free recently and they offered to donate money to a charity of my choice…. Still waiting.
‘And… my friend asked what i was doing for Christmas. I said nothing planned… she suggested i do charity work. Has she any idea what I dedicate half my life to? [sad emoji] Just a hug is all i really need!’
The posts were met with an outpouring of supportive comments from followers and fellow nineties TV star Sarah Cawood, 53, also reached out, telling her friend: ‘Gail you are worth more than this! You do so much for charity; you need to do something for you.’
‘And if you’re on your own for Xmas, then come to me! It would be lovely to see you. No one spends Xmas alone on my watch xxx.’
For help call Samaritans for free on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org
