“I’m in love” – From psychiatric wards, homelessness, and a bald head to an unbelievable comeback, Gail Porter is living proof that hitting rock bottom isn’t the end, but the beginning

Once a beloved TV icon in the 90s, Gail’s life crumbled after losing her hair to alopecia in 2005. She turned down wigs to remain authentic, but job offers vanished and she was reduced to unpaid appearances discussing her condition. Things spiralled — anorexia, depression, bankruptcy in 2017 — and a shocking psychiatric hospital stay at age 40. “It was terrifying,” she said. “I was drugged up, sharing a ward with men who thought they were Jesus and violent patients. It felt like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”

By 2014, Gail was homeless, sofa-surfing and later sleeping on a bench in Hampstead Heath. “I just wanted someone to give me a chance,” she recalled. Her breaking point led loved ones to call the police, who took her to hospital — and from there, the long journey back began.

She found solace in charity work and exercise, and even won a BAFTA in 2020 for her raw and powerful documentary Being Gail Porter. She now works with campaigns like Homewards and Samaritans, helping others facing homelessness and mental health issues.

Though she says romance isn’t for her — “I don’t date, can’t be bothered” — she’s found a different kind of love: with a wig. After nearly 20 years, she collaborated with Amber Jean Rowan’s ethical wig brand to design “The Gail,” a piece that looks just like her old hair. “It’s not about hiding — it’s self-expression. I have the best of both worlds,” she said.

Now single and happy, Gail finds joy in simple things — her cat, her daughter Honey (22), her friends. Reflecting on the past, she said: “From sleeping on a bench to standing on a cruise ship stage — it’s proof we get through.”