Charlotte Church - ‘I was totally exploited. I was a commodity’

Charlotte Church is currently starring in the first ever series of BBC One’s Celebrity Traitors. But she first found global fame as the young classical singer with the voice of an angel. By 22, she had sold 10 million records and performed for popes, presidents and princes. The success came at a devastating personal cost - here, she tells us what really happened and how she found her way into what is arguably her most powerful iteration yet: her healing phase.

This episode was recorded live in Bath earlier this year.

✨ IN THIS EPISODE:

06:33 Reconnecting with Nature

08:55 Psychedelic Experiences and Healing

10:31 Creative Struggles and Musical Journey

16:38 Reflections on the Music Industry

21:09 Family and Ambitions

21:33 Struggles with Patriarchy and Colonialism

22:30 The Symbolism of Tattoos

24:13 Understanding Patriarchy

29:57 Challenges in the Music Industry

31:28 Personal Identity

34:39 Embracing the Wild Woman Archetype

40:08 Balancing Fame and Personal Beliefs

💬 QUOTES TO REMEMBER:

There's no two ways about it: I was not looked after, I was not nurtured, I was just totally exploited. I was a commodity and the industry was incredibly razor sharp.

What makes us advance, is suffering.

I'm dreaming of a world where everybody can start to feel what balance truly feels like.

🔗 LINKS + MENTIONS:

Charlotte is starring in Celebrity Traitors on BBC One

Elizabeth’s Substack: https://theelizabethday.substack.com/

Join the How To Fail community: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#content

📚 WANT MORE?

Tom Daley - discusses overcoming perfectionism, anxiety, and the fear of failure. He also shares how failure shaped his resilience and coping strategies - like knitting! https://play.megaphone.fm/deiztbmwsrw-vz5by9ajtw

Claudia Winkleman - talks hilariously about her dislike of perfectionism, her introversion, struggles with sleep and the challenges of living in the present. https://play.megaphone.fm/cszzpxoqqb6_jx2furt7ba

Paloma Faith - reflects on her experiences with rejection and self‑judgment, struggling to conceive, and the tension between her public persona and inner vulnerabilities. https://play.megaphone.fm/rq-vrlg6sla2hyboi6znkq

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Live Engineer: Will Kontargyris

Production & Post Production Coordinator: Eric Ryan

Sound Engineer: Matias Torres

Assistant Producer: Suhaar Ali

Senior Producer: Hannah Talbot

Executive Producer: Carly Maile

How to Fail is an Elizabeth Day and Sony Music Entertainment Production.

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