She made a name for herself by appearing on E4’s reality series Made in Chelsea – but Louise Thompson has admitted she spent a decade binge drinking when working in TV ‘toxic’.
The pregnant reality TV star, 31, said she used alcohol to hide her ‘very low self-esteem’ and to not ‘face the realities of my life, which I wasn’t particularly happy in’.
Teetotal Louise made the comments in the first episode of a three-part web-series called The Have Your NOments, which is airing online today to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day.
First recognised in 1999, the day hopes to raise awareness about the range of conditions that can result from alcohol use during pregnancy – with FASD being an umbrella term to describe those issues, such as poor memory and hearing difficulties.
The pregnant reality TV star (pictured), 31, said she used alcohol to hide her ‘very low self-esteem’ and to not ‘face the realities of my life, which I wasn’t particularly happy in’
Fitness entrepreneur Louise sat down with with Dr Inyang Takon, Consultant Paediatrician at East and North Hertfordshire Trust at the Skylon Bar in London, to discuss her relationship with alcohol.
Louise said: ‘I’ve been interested in the effects of alcohol on non-pregnant people, as well as pregnant people for a long time, as it used to affect me pretty badly.
‘I think I went through a ten year period where I used to binge drink, so I would go out and drink a lot.
‘I had very low self-esteem. I used to drink to cover that up and also to not have to face the realities of my life, which I wasn’t particularly happy in and I worked in the TV world which was pretty toxic for quite a long period of time.’
She made a name for herself by appearing on E4’s reality series Made in Chelsea – but Louise Thompson (pictured) has admitted she spent a decade binge drinking when working in TV ‘toxic’
Teetotal Louise (pictured on Made In Chelsea in 2018) made the comments in the first episode of a three-part web-series called The Have Your NOments, which is airing online today to mark International Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Day
She continued: ‘My body couldn’t actually function in a working environment and I love my job.’
Louise, who is due to give birth to her first child in November with her personal trainer fiancé Ryan Libbey, insisted that everyone can benefit from drinking less.
She said: ‘I don’t know if it’s just a British thing and our whole pub culture but I think for lots of people, especially when I think about my parents’ generation, drinking alcohol is a release from a hard day’s work.
‘[But] I know a lot of students who think it’s cool not to drink, which I think is great.’
Louise said she started reducing her alcohol intake ‘before even thinking about family planning’.
‘I just knew my body didn’t react well to it,’ she explained. ‘I’ve noticed that I have way more fun now I’m alcohol-free – I love the fact that I feel more, so everything feels a lot stronger.’
Louise, who rose to fame on Made In Chelsea in 2011, previously reflected on how her priorities changed when she turned 30, and she questioned why she was ever so concerned with her public image.
She previously said: ‘It’s a combination of turning 30 and you think “oh God, why did I care about being cool? Why did I care about what other people thought of me?” I just want to be with the people that I like and my animals.
‘Now, I’m really excited about the prospect of motherhood. Ryan is apprehensive, and really excited but he’s a little bit more nervous. It’s such a big change.
‘We’re also doing our home renovation project at the moment – the deadlines for both things – I don’t know if one is more predictable than the other, both can be early and both can be late. There’s not a lot of security in that sense.
‘We’re trying to get the nursery sorted in the house at least so at the bare minimum we will have a bedroom and the nursery.’
Louise and Ryan’s new arrival will join the couple’s two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Koji and Toto, and complete their close-knit family.
Meanwhile, the National Organisation for FASD provides support to people affected by FASD, including their families and communities, campaigns to raise public awareness of the risks of alcohol-exposed pregnancies, and promotes relevant policies and practices.
Sandra Butcher, Chief Executive at National FASD says: ‘Research has shown that a quarter of young adults are unaware that pregnant people should not drink alcohol during pregnancy and 41 per cent of pregnancies in the UK are alcohol-exposed, which can cause FASD.
‘We’re dedicated to providing all the information people need to make informed choices before and during pregnancy. Louise is a great example of someone who has found that having more alcohol-free social occasions before thinking about starting a family has made it easier to have an alcohol-free pregnancy.’
Dr Inyang Takon, Consultant Paediatrician at East and North Hertfordshire Trust concludes: ‘The Chief Medical Officers’ guidance says that if you are pregnant or think you could become pregnant you should avoid alcohol, to keep the risk to your baby to a minimum.
‘If you’ve had alcohol during pregnancy or are worried about going alcohol-free, don’t panic – speak to your GP or midwife.’
Episode 1 of the Have Your NOments webisode series goes live on Thursday 9 September 2021 at 9 am on Prevent FASD’s Instagram page (@preventfasd.info) with episodes 2 and 3 going live weekly thereafter.
For more info on FASD and the Have Your NOments series visit www.preventfasd.info.
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