Olly Alexander: “I couldn’t accept my identity” Queer joy and mental distress co-exist

About this episode

<p>There should be no shame in being who you are. Musician and actor Olly Alexander has felt first hand how grappling with your identity can lead to poor mental health.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In this chat with Fearne, Olly explains why he feels there’s such a high level of mental distress in the queer community, and how acting in It’s A Sin helped him unpack his own lived experience.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Both Fearne and Olly share their experiences of poor body image, wondering if bulimia felt like a helpful tool to regain control in an intimidating world. How can you go from disliking your body to recognising the brilliant things it can do for you?</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Plus, how to let yourself off the hook when you’ve messed up at work or in a social situation, and what to do when you don’t feel you’ve ‘achieved’ enough to be of value...</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Olly’s solo album, Polari, is out in February.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains frank chat about suicide, self-harm, and bulimia, so take care while listening.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://pod.fo/e/279633" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Perrie Edwards</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://pod.fo/e/238d13" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Rebel Wilson</a></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://pod.fo/e/25cf34" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">YungBlud</a></p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>