Former X Factor contestant and singer songwriter, Janet Devlin joins Fleur East on the second episode of her new podcast series ‘The Reality of Reality TV’, out today.
Janet appeared in the eighth series of The X Factor UK in 2011 when she was 16, finishing in fifth place. She spoke to Hits Radio Breakfast host Fleur East to share her experience of the ups and downs of being involved in the show.
Janet spoke about what it was like being on a show like the X Factor at such a young age “I was just a baby deer in the headlights like. You know, if it was a novel, my character was not fully developed yet. Didn't know who I was. I was just really shy, so insecure. Like, I had a lot of mental health issues and stuff before TV.”
Janet continued, “By the age of 12, I was a self-harmer, and by the age of 14-15 I was a full-blown anorexic. And I suffered with mental health my whole life… I don't think I was ever really a very shy kid, but then I think that's what anorexia took away from me, was this ability to talk. So, when people are seeing this shy 16-year-old girl, it was actually just somebody who was trying their best to recover from an eating disorder, which definitely strips you of a lot of you as a person.”
Opening up further about her eating disorder on the show, Janet shared, “X Factor was hard for me in totally different ways than what other people thought was hard about it. Like, I remember strug-- like forcing, like sitting at that canteen in the mornings for breakfast and like, really trying hard to make myself eat breakfast. I had this whole struggle going on that nobody knew about.
“I have also got credit to give to the show though, because that is when I learnt my biggest life lesson. That when I have a goal that's not deleterious, I'm actually very good at working towards things, and I didn't act out really, I don't think, on my eating disorder at the time and I was able to be like, "No. This is what I want. I want to be a singer and I wanna work really hard". So, when I had something that I was passionate about, I was able to kind of focus my vision in on it.
The singer also spoke about her image on the show - “It's not that I knew what I wanted; I just knew what I did not want. There were times where I was put in these like provocative outfits and I'd have to be like, "Yes. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm 16. So, can we please take these stockings off my legs? Thank you very much".
Recalling her relationship with her mentor Kelly Rowland, Janet shared, “I was very shy, I was very introverted. And here I am with a global superstar that is, Kelly Roland who is so confident, owns herself, knows what she wants, and I'm obviously sat there going like, "We are two different people".
“It was just really hard to get a connection, because you can't expect two people just always to get along. You can go out in the street and grab two strangers and go, "Here you go. Get along". But we really tried our best. I did take on a lot of her advice.”
On being in the public eye so young, Janet shared “You lose like your teenage years, because when I left that show, I couldn't go outside. Like I couldn’t go to bars. Going to the grocery store was dangerous. And then, you know, you're talking to your friends and they're having parties and they're just kissing boys. A part of me is sad that I lost those fun years, so I can just let your hair down and get away with everything that you want.
Janet revealed she asked for therapy on the show: “I felt so ashamed. I was like, "I need a therapist". Yeah. I was like, "I'm so broken. I'm so broken. I'm so broken" and finally confessed to someone. I was like, "Here, I'm having like really unhealthy thoughts, and I think I need to see a therapist. I need to get some help". And they were like, "Oh, that's cool" 'cause like basically, everybody else was in therapy.”
On being a role model for other young people in recovery - “It's been phenomenal to see so many people like relating. Obviously, it's sad when you see somebody relating to something you've gone through that's been really hard, but I didn't see that, especially when I was searching for a role model in recovery from alcoholism. Like I didn't see, not that I wanna be someone's role model, I just want a story out there to show younger girls that like, I know you can literally go down AA meeting at 20, and its fine. I feel like 'cause I'm in a good place now with myself and I've got to that point where I'm like, "No. I'm me and I'm totally comfortable with that". I just wanna show people that like, it's possible.”
‘The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East’ is a brand-new podcast featuring no holds barred conversations with some of our favourite on-screen heroes; from fellow X Factor finalists and Drag Race superstars to Big Brother legends and TOWIE favourites.
Episode 3 out next week features an interview with Alison Hammond. Other guests confirmed for the series are:
Vas J Morgan (The Only Way is Essex)
Vicky Pattison (Geordie Shore, I’m a Celeb, Ex on the Beach)
JB Gill from JLS (The X Factor, Celebrity Masterchef, The Jump)
Harry Redknapp (I’m a Celebrity)
Amber Gill (Love Island)
‘The Reality of Reality TV with Fleur East’ is available every Tuesday from Apple podcasts, Spotify, the Hits Radio website and all mainstream podcast providers.
