‘I ran away in the night,’ says Celebs Go Dating’s Jamelia as she emotionally details abusive relationship with ex
CELEBS Go Dating star Jamelia devastated viewers as she emotionally detailed an abusive relationship on tonight’s show.
Jamelia, 43, revealed she “ran away in the night” after being beaten up by a former partner in her teenage years.
The singer held back tears as she told dating agents Paul Brunson, Anna Williamson and Dr. Tara about the difficult time.
When asked about her first relationship, the Superstar songstress said: “So, I was very young. I was too young. I was 16 and he was 25.
“And, at the time, I would have told you it was love and it was amazing.
“And because it was to me as a 16 year old, the relationship was abusive. He would beat me up all the time.”
She added: “The crazy thing is, it was also at the beginning of my music career.
“I could go and do a show to thousands of people and then I’ll come home and get battered just because, you know, ‘Who do you think you are?'”
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, fans shared their upset at her admission.
One wrote: “Jeez, imagine being in an abusive relationship with a much older guy when you’re in your teens. That’s crazy. So glad Jamelia got herself out.”
Someone else added: “Jamelia opening up about her abusive relationship is so brave, it takes a lot of courage to escape that and then talk about it.”
A third agreed: “Bless Jamila, she shouldn’t feel like that or let it hold her back.”
One more chimed in with: “Wow Jamelia really went through it.”
The Hollyoaks star appears to have had a tough time in love, recently revealing her husband walked out while she was pregnant with their child in spring 2022.
She was then left her to be a single mum to her four daughters.
Jamelia revealed to The Daily Star: “When I was four-and-a-half months pregnant, my relationship broke down. Me and my daughters were abandoned.
“It was an unexpected life change that absolutely devastated us and changed everything.
“It was like a sledgehammer went through our lives. I thought it was the end of my life because my relationship had ended.”
She continued to the publication: “The past two years of my life have been a car crash.
“I’ve had a really difficult, traumatic time. One of the things I never, ever wanted to be was a single mum.
“I’ve had four daughters to keep afloat, keep alive. There are so many people who I thought would support me and help me and they just didn’t. I had to tap into my resilience. It’s been about surviving.”
The actress plays Dr Sharon Bailey on Hollyoaks but has now quit her role as she admitted that it is hard to juggle work and being a single mum.
She said: “Being on Hollyoaks was putting a plaster on a very deep wound. I know that I’ve not healed. I haven’t done the healing work that needs to be done.
“And I can’t do it while focussing on such a demanding job alongside the world’s most demanding job of being four people’s mum.
“I have loved being on Hollyoaks, but I know that I have been locking something away and I haven’t dealt with a lot of things.”
She added: “So I have to take that time. I need to take some time for myself. I need to stop, I need to think and I need to process and deal with all the things I haven’t dealt with.
“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 25 years and I’ve never prioritised my mental health. I’ve always struggled through.
“You never deal with your issues, but now I know no amount of money or fame is more important than my mental health.”
Jamelia opened up about her ordeal for the ITVBe reality show, Drama Queens.
The series also featured Corrie’s Lucy Fallon and Ellie Leach, Emmerdale star Laura Norton and Hollyoaks babe Jorgie Porter.