Gail Porter has revealed that she didn’t earn a penny from her infamous FHM nude shoot in the 90s.
The star, now 54, was one of the most popular TV personalities of the decade and appeared in several lads’ magazines, including Loaded.
In 1999, her nude photoshoot was projected onto the Houses of Parliament as part of a publicity stunt for FHM’s ‘Sexiest Woman’ feature.
The stunt helped the magazine sell more than one million copies within just two months.
Speaking on the Skin, Unfiltered podcast on Wednesday, Gail revealed she had no idea the shoot would be projected onto the historic building and confirmed that she received nothing for it.
She said: ‘FHM pocketed all the cash and they made a fortune.
Gail Porter has revealed that she didn’t earn a penny from her infamous FHM nude shoot in the 90s during an apperance on The British Skin Foundation podcast on Wednesday
In 1999, her nude photoshoot was projected onto the Houses of Parliament as part of a publicity stunt for FHM’s ‘Sexiest Woman’ feature. The stunt helped the magazine sell more than one million copies within just two months
However, Gail has revealed she had no idea the shoot would be projected onto the historic building and confirmed that she received no payment for it
‘It was the biggest FHM, obviously, with all the publicity and the controversy, and then they just did one and left me to pick up the pieces.
‘So people thought I was involved, people thought I knew about it, people thought I made loads of money off of it.
‘So I had feminists on my case, I had stalkers, I had men outside the house – it was just horrific.’
She continued: ‘But yeah, that was quite a strange time. And nobody to help you at all.
‘And everyone was just on me as if to go, ‘Yep, you knew all about it.’
‘I was like, ‘I saw it on the news, same as you.’ That was it, and I didn’t get paid.”
It comes after Gail opened up about her incredible transformation after years of heartbreak, homelessness, and health struggles, saying she’s finally ‘100% happy.’
The TV star lost her home, career, and confidence after a long battle with mental health issues, alopecia, and bankruptcy.
It comes after Gail opened up about her incredible transformation after years of heartbreak, homelessness , and health struggles, saying she’s finally ‘100% happy.’
The former Big Breakfast host became a household name in the 90s, but by 2011, her life had spiralled out of control
Now, she says she’s found peace – and even fallen in love again.
The former Big Breakfast host became a household name in the 90s, but by 2011, her life had spiralled out of control.
Gail, then 40, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and placed in a psychiatric unit, where she shared a ward with violent patients and others in extreme distress.
Talking to The Mirror, she recalled: ‘It was terrifying. I was drugged up to my eyeballs, sharing a ward with men convinced they were Jesus, and violent patients. It felt like One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.’
Just three years later, she was sleeping rough on a bench in Hampstead Heath after sofa-surfing failed to offer stability.
Despite applying for work in charity shops and libraries, she was repeatedly turned away and admitted: ‘I just wanted someone to give me a chance’.
At her lowest point, concerned loved ones contacted police, who took her to hospital for help. It marked the beginning of a slow but determined journey back from the brink.
Her fall from fame had begun in 2005 when she lost her hair due to alopecia. She famously refused to wear wigs, saying she wanted to stay authentic – but job offers dried up, and she found herself invited to unpaid appearances purely to talk about her condition.
Gail, then 40, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act and placed in a psychiatric unit, where she shared a ward with violent patients and others in extreme distress (pictured in 2005)
She insisted that it wasn’t about covering up, but more about sel-expression and now she has the best of both worlds
Gail also battled anorexia and depression, and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2017.
She said: ‘I lost everything – my house, my career, my confidence.’
Since then, she’s rebuilt 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.
While she’s ruled out romance in the traditional sense, saying that she ‘doesn’t date’, ‘can’t be bothered’ and ‘was married once which was enough’, Gail has found a new kind of love in an unexpected place: a wig.
After nearly 20 years without one, she worked with Amber Jean Rowan’s ethical wig company to create ‘The Gail’ – a custom piece that resembles her original hair which she has ‘fallen in love with’.
She insisted: ‘It’s not about covering anything up – it’s self‑expression. I now have the freedom to change my look whenever I fancy. I have the best of both worlds.’
Gail, who is single and doesn’t use dating apps, said she’s happy spending time with friends, her cat, and her daughter Honey.
And after years of turmoil, she says the future finally feels hopeful.
‘I’ve been at rock bottom – from sleeping on a bench to standing on a cruise stage,’ she added. ‘It’s proof we get through.’
