X Factor’s Fleur East reveals battle with depression

She stormed to the top of the iTunes chart this week and is favourite to win the X Factor on Sunday night, but Fleur East has revealed the year didn’t get off to such a good start.

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by Jack White |
Published on

Fleur, 27, confessed that her singing career was dwindling at the beginning of 2014 and there was a point where she didn’t even want to get out of bed.

“The beginning of the year was my lowest point. I was waking up at whatever time and watching repeats of Friends in my pyjamas all day, every day,” she told the Mirror.

The X Factor gave Fleur the push she needed
The X Factor gave Fleur the push she needed

“There was nothing in my diary – no gigs, nothing going on. I was like, ‘what am I going to do with my life?’ I was so scared. I knew if I got a normal job, I would never sing again. There was no motivation in me – there wasn’t even any drive to get up in the morning because what’s the point?

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“I was definitely depressed. Looking back, I’m like, ‘who was that?’ Sitting on the sofa doing nothing – that’s not me at all.”

Her version of Uptown Funk has stormed to number one on the iTunes chart

But those closest to Fleur urged her to snap out of it and apply for the show. “I got up, got in the gym and I had something to work towards,” she added.

Fleur also revealed what it was like growing up in Walthamstow, East London, surrounded by gangs and violence.

She said: “There was lots of that happening – knives being pulled and fights going on. To me that was just normal. It sounds really strange, but it was. People used to come after school and say they wanted to beat someone up.

“I’d see fist fights and knives being pulled right in front of me. I’d just say, ‘ok’ and walk home. I was too scared to intervene, so I’d stay away from it. It didn’t attract me. I wasn’t intrigued by the danger. I think I had a fear instilled in me from my parents to not even go there.”

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