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Gone are the days when celebrities presented a perfect image to the world – when we only got to see and know what the celebrity released, or what had been leaked to the press. In these days of structured reality, when social media permeates our world, we get to see more of celebrities and their lives (and bodies) than ever. Nothing seems off-limits for public inspection.
This shift in perceptions of celebrity has influenced our understanding and approach to our pop culture favourites. The perception of authenticity and relatability are key to the sustained marketability, popularity and relevance of modern-day celebrities and influencers. That’s not say that star personas aren’t still carefully crafted and curated, but social media allows celebrities to break their own stories – and control the narrative.
Part of this drive towards authenticity has seen celebrities sharing health conditions publicly. Social media allows stars to engage directly with their audience and part of nurturing that relationship is to allow fans to feel that they know the celebrity personally – and intimately. Very intimately.
When Davina McCall spoke in her documentary Davina McCall, Sex, Myths and The Menopause about her experience of vaginal dryness and brain fog during perimenopause, she was lauded for her bravery and courage in speaking so openly about a subject that’s so common and yet still so heavily stigmatised. McCall’s followers wouldn’t be surprised by her candidness, though – she’s equally open on social media, allowing the public to see that she might be a millionaire with a stellar career and abs of steel, but she still shares the same health issues and insecurities as her fans.
Louise Thompson of Made in Chelsea fame isn’t a veteran TV personality like Davina McCall, but she did come to public attention through a structured reality series; one that showcases the glamorous lives of the offspring of affluent families, quaffing champers while falling in and out of love and friendships. Made in Chelsea is one of those reality programmes, like The Only Way is Essex, where former (and often disgruntled) cast members spill the beans on the apparent “fakery” of the show – the modified scripts, the structured events, the retakes of supposedly genuine moments. Coming from reality TV makes it even more important to develop credibility with a wider audience.
Yet away from the glossy hyperreality of Made in Chelsea, Thompson has become better known for her honesty about her health conditions, from postnatal depression, PTSD and – most recently – lupus.
Gone are the days when celebrities fed personal information to the public through a media sieve of PR companies and spokespeople. Now, celebrities are more likely to speak directly to their audience through social media or podcasts – to produce the effect of unfiltered truth. And Thompson has been extremely candid in her Instagram videos where she’s spoken about the less glamorous areas of her life. She broke the news of her lupus diagnosis to her followers in a video on Instagram: ‘‘I just feel like I’m constantly navigating so many different things and I could just cry like how has my life come to this, it all just feels so heavy. There’s so much doom and gloom and I can’t catch a breath.”
It’s all a million miles away from the conspicuous wealth and privilege flaunted on the Channel 4 reality show that made her a household name.
There’s no doubt that McCall, Thompson and all the other celebs who share their health struggles and conditions publicly are brave. It’s courageous to put yourself out there to be judged. It’s especially courageous when the celebrities are women who are suffering from stigmatised conditions, like the menopause, postnatal anxiety and depression. They deserve the support they receive from their followers – and fans are thankful for the reassurance that even celebrities and influencers with seemingly perfect lives suffer with the same problems as they do.
I do wonder, though, about the celebrities who have shared health issues and been subjected to vicious and sustained online attacks. The ones who don’t get lauded for their courage and bravery. The ones whose health conditions are exacerbated by public disclosure. I’m thinking of Jade Goody. Kerry Katona. Katie Price. I’m thinking of Meghan Markle. I’m thinking of Caroline Flack.
It’s all very well expecting authenticity and honesty from our celebrities, but what happens when we really get it – warts and all? What happens when health conditions cause women celebrities to gain weight? To develop skin problems? When the effects of severe mental illness don’t present themselves in an Instagram-worthy format and these women can sometimes seem, well… unlikeable?
And what happens if the disclosure of serious health issues, particularly around mental health, is received as self-interested whinging? What if the narrative is twisted from “strong and inspirational” to “draining and depressing”? Could “full disclosure”, in some cases, actually make the problem worse?
Anyone who’s lived with serious mental health issues (or lives with or cares for someone with serious mental health issues) will know that the symptoms and effects are often unpalatable. They are exhausting and distressing and they can be unbecoming and unflattering. They’re certainly heartbreaking. We’d all do well to be mindful of that.
For any woman to make a public disclosure of a health diagnosis is an act of courage. The audience is judge and jury and will decide whether or not the woman is likeable enough to warrant compassion. We decide whether we like the celebrity enough to offer support, or we despise them enough to actively contribute to the deterioration of their health – and that seems pretty sick to me.
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