Entertainment
Vick Hope recalls being bullied for hairy legs at school and branded a ‘gorilla’-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro
Her mum was strict about shaving.
Vick said that she was geeky at school and used to become ‘so upset’ by bullying (Picture: Getty)
Vick Hope has shared that she used to be called a ‘gorilla’ in school and was bullied for having hairy legs.
The BBC Radio 1 presenter, who is reportedly engaged to musician and super-producer Calvin Harris after a whirlwind romance, has dazzled us on the airwaves and dancefloor alike, after taking part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2018.
However, the 32-year-old has admitted she wasn’t always so confident and was secretly ‘geeky’ at school, where she recalled getting picked on.
She also admitted that in the showbiz industry she could often find herself ‘seeking validation from others’ but had learned that she was ‘not going to please everyone’.
In a new interview, Vick shared: ‘I used to get a bit bullied at school. The boys would make fun of me for having hairy legs.
‘I used to get called ‘gorilla’. I was so upset and angry.’
The Radio 1 star revealed her mother wanted her to embrace her natural beauty but she wanted to change everything about the way she looked at the start of her career (Picture: Getty)
The star told The Sun that her mother Adeline had refused to let her shave her legs as a teenager and told her to ‘embrace your curls’.
However, the Vick Hope’s Breakfast Show host revealed that in her early days in the industry, she changed everything about the way she looked before learning to ‘be myself a bit more’.
‘I was always quite geeky. I thought when I was coming into this industry I would change the way I look,’ she said.
‘I straightened my hair, I wore a lot of make-up. All these things were not me.
Vick says that she has now learned to ‘love myself a lot more’ (Picture: Cat Morley/Avalon)
The presenter took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2018, where she was eliminated fourth (Picture: David Fisher/Rex/Shutterstock)
‘I learned that I can’t control how people view me or what they think of me. What I can do is be comfortable with myself and, as a result, a lot more happy and then probably better at my job.’
Vick shared that she learned to ‘love myself a lot more’ and that her geekiness and sensitivity ‘were going to make [me] a warm broadcaster’.
She was seen frolicking on the beach with Calvin in June as they put on an amorous PDA session, although neither has spoken to confirm their relationship status or engagement.
The couple were first publicly seen together at Chelsea Flower Show in May, and had tongues wagging after Vick showed off a huge diamond ring on her left hand during the event.
Vick is said to be engaged to Calvin Harris, although neither of them have confirmed the reports (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
They then both worked Radio 1’s Big Weekend days later as the radio star presented – giving a clear view of her rock – while Calvin was busy during his DJ set as the festival’s headline act.
The pair reportedly dated in secret for five months before making their debut, following Calvin’s split from model girlfriend Aarika Wolf, 27, in March after four years of dating.
A source claimed that Vick and Calvin are ‘smitten with each other’ and already planning their forthcoming nuptials.
She was first seen wearing a large diamond on her left hand at Chelsea Flower Show in May, before showing it off again at Radio 1’s Big Weekend, where Calvin was headlining (Picture: Getty)
‘They could not be happier and are already planning their wedding, which is set to take place in Ibiza, where they grew close during Vick’s secret visits to the White Isle.
‘After keeping their relationship private, they decided to go public at the Chelsea Flower Show on Monday, they want everyone to now know their happy news,’ they told MailOnline.
Vick previously revealed in 2018 that she actually turned down her now partner after he asked her out back when she was 19.
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Speaking on her former Capital show, she recalled: ‘He looked how he used to look and I was shallow, I was 19, and I said no and I went off with one of either Scouting for Girls, or The Wombats, I don’t know which.
‘They were there, I thought they were going to be bigger but no, it turns out Calvin Harris was going to turn into an Adonis.’
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