Gail burst on to our TV screens in the late 90s. Bright, sparky and beautiful she soon attracted an entirely different audience, posing for a number of men’s magazines and rapidly becoming the pin-up of the lad-mag generation. FHM, in a now famous stunt, even projected her naked form on to the Houses of Parliament.

What were your feelings on the day it was confirmed you had Alopecia?
I had kind of figured out that I had Alopecia, so the diagnosis didn’t come as much of a shock.

What effect did hearing this news have on your life, your family, your relationships with other people?
I was worried that my boyfriend would find me less attractive but other than that, I knew everyone would cope.

Have you come to terms with it and, if so, how?
I have come to terms with it as I have an amazing daughter and I have my health. My mum has cancer and that puts everything into perspective.

Do you feel there is a stigma attached to Alopecia?
I haven’t come across any stigma attached to Alopecia. People looked kind of shocked, then they got used to it.

Do you feel there is enough help and advice available to people living with this condition?
If you look hard enough you can find the help and support you need. The same as most other conditions.

Why did you decide to be so publicly open about your Alopecia?
When I realised that I had Alopecia I didn’t want to hide it. I feel quite comfortable in my own skin now and that has taken a long time, so I just took a deep breath and bared all.

Can you tell us about your new memoirs book?
My memoirs book is basically as it says, memoirs! A wee journey through the ups and downs in my life, sometimes funny, sometimes though provoking but always positive.

Have you ever considered permanent makeup?
No.

Do you have a funny TV moment that sticks in your mind?
A rabbit once did a wee on me on live TV!

What plans do you have for the future and your career?
My plans at the moment are pretty open. Concentrating on the book promotion for the next couple of months, then deciding on my next few TV projects.

Beneath her cheery public façade, Gail was struggling with anorexia and bi-polar disorder. After nine years of extreme dieting, she collapsed and through sheer determination forced herself to begin eating properly again. Having been told she would never be able to conceive, her new healthier lifestyle led to a much desired pregnancy by her then husband, Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave. But the intense pressures of juggling motherhood with her career, led to crippling post-natal depression and precipitated the breakdown of her marriage. Overwhelmed by single motherhood, one day after dropping her daughter Honey off at nursery, she took an overdose and her world very publicly began to unravel.

Gail's very public breakdown prompted unprecedented outpourings of sympathy from the general public. She is seen as brave and smart, emotionally in-touch, yet able to cope. She refused to hide-away as stress-induced alopecia caused her to loose her hair, famously appearing at a charity event sporting a startling pink Mohican. Her stunning features and her unwillingness to wear a wig to hide her bald head have made her a contemporary icon.

Gail’s autobiography is everything you would expect from the diminutive Scot; open, frank and honest, but it is also warm and surprisingly laugh-out-loud funny. It is a book about a lovely but troubled girl taking on life, with all it can throw at us, and her unbreakable will to survive.

Gail Porter was born in 1971, just outside Edinburgh. She studied photography and film at college, beginning her career in television as a runner. Gail currently presents the A List on Real Radio. She lives in North London with her four-year-old daughter Honey.

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