Jill Scott regrets not talking about anxiety more
Jill Scott regrets not speaking about anxiety during her football career as she and 'I'm A Celebrity' co-star Owen Warner had a open discussion about mental health.
Jill Scott regrets not speaking about her mental health during her football career.
The Lionesses legend had a frank conversation with 'Hollyoaks' actor Owen Warner – who she featured with on 'I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!' last year – over a three-course meal at Zizzi.
Jill and Owen spoke candidly about their time in the jungle, Jill's career in football and the impact of social media for Zizzi's 'In Conversations With' series in support of long-standing partner the Mental Health Foundation and to mark Mental Health Awareness Week.
Owen discussed landing a role in 'Hollyoaks' when he was 18 and how he almost quit acting due to a lack of confidence.
This year's Mental Health Awareness Week has a particular focus on anxiety and the impact it has on mental wellbeing.
The Google Trends data on anxiety is alarming as searches for the term are consistently higher in frequency than those for depression, bullying, suicide and stress.
Jill said: "With anxiety everything can feel overwhelming, you always think you are the only one feeling like that. I reckon that if you speak to 99 per cent of people, they've all experienced anxiety in one way or another.
"It was only when I stopped playing football was when I realised how anxious I was and the pressure I put on myself to perform. There were 11 million people watching me and when I played, I wish I would have spoken about it a little more.
"However, learning to win and lose on a pitch really helps equip you in life when things get tough. If I focused on doing what I was good at, the situation felt less overwhelming."
The Zizzi series 'In Conversations with' includes three episodes and will be housed on both Zizzi's and the Mental Health Foundation's websites and social media channels.
