Geordie Shore star Holly Hagan has revealed that years of criticism and bullying during childhood led her to self-harm.
The 22-year old revealed that she suffered from years of bullying in school, which focussed on her appearance and weight, at the hands of a gang of girls.
Holly writes about the painful memories in her autobiography, Not Quite A Geordie, where she locked herself in a bathroom:
“I stared at my image for an unusually long time, taking in all my features one by one and trying to understand why everyone thought I was so ugly. I wished I could be thinner and prettier.
‘The more I looked at myself, the more disgusted I became with my reflection before me. It made me so mad and I had no one but myself to take it out on.”
Holly then details how she used a razor to cut herself across her thighs.
The TV personality adds that she was a target of online bullies, who threatened to attack her in school:
“The worst of it used to happen on Sunday nights. Everyone would be online and they’d be calling me all kinds of names, like a fat s**g or a f**king rat and telling me I deserved a good kicking.”
The 22-year old, who is a star on the reality TV show, blames her childhood bullying for her issues around weight and body confidence.
The star admits she found it difficult to cope with the verbal abuse, writing:
“I closed my eyes like it was all a bad dream.”
If you or someone close to you is affected by self-harm, find more information and support by checking in with one of these free service groups here for confidential advice.
