Jamelia EXCLUSIVE: The Dark Side of Being A SUPERSTAR! This is My Truth. Fame wasn't worth it!

We Need To Talk with Paul C. Brunson

FlightStory

Leisure, Relationships, Society & Culture

4.8 • 652 Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2025

⏱️ 157 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode of We Need To Talk, BRIT-nominated, MOBO award-winning singer Jamelia sits down for a raw and unfiltered conversation, sharing the untold chapters of her life - from rising to fame as a teenage Superstar to the dark realities of the music industry. She opens up about being groomed at 16, surviving an abusive relationship that inspired Thank You, and the relentless scrutiny of the tabloids, who hacked her phone for a decade. Despite it all, Jamelia has never been happier. She reflects on fame, family, and resilience - how she’s navigated betrayal, heartbreak, and an industry that tried to break her, only to come out stronger. She shares how motherhood saved her, why she’s finally at peace, and the power of owning her story. This is Jamelia as you've never heard her before - honest, fearless, and thriving. Support charities: Refuge - https://g2ul0.app.link/DyflXtM08Qb Women's Aid - https://g2ul0.app.link/kW1JuPO08Qb Follow me here: https://www.instagram.com/needtotalk https://www.tiktok.com/@weneedtotalkpod Follow Jamelia here: Instagram - https://g2ul0.app.link/f4cAxiQQ8Qb TikTok - https://g2ul0.app.link/lgMDMYG08Qb Spotify - https://g2ul0.app.link/vsj2h9y08Qb (00:00) Intro (01:54) Growing Up in Handsworth (03:01) Riots in '81 (04:27) How Would Jamelia Define Rastafarianism? (10:26) Jamelia Father in Prison (13:38) How Did Jamelia Father's Consistency Shape Jamelia Relationships? (18:55) What Would Jamelia Say to Jamelia Father Now? (22:28) Self-Work and Self-Reflection (24:58) Forgiving Jamelia Parents (27:12) Jamelia Mother (29:32) How Did Jamelia Decide Music Was the Career? (33:00) Making More Money Than Jamelia Mother (35:32) Music Career Takes Off (35:56) Jamelia Brothers Groomed Onto the Streets (37:33) How Do Jamelia Define Grooming? (41:42) Did Jamelia Blame Yourself for Jamelia Brother's Conviction? (44:49) A Mother to Nieces and Nephews (49:42) Career Regrets, Phone Hacking, and Press Harassment (56:49) Sexualisation in the Industry (1:04:10) Code-Switching (1:07:46) Eating at Nelson Mandela's House (1:09:28) Adobe ExpressAd (1:10:25) Tinder Ad (1:11:37) Thank You Song (1:19:27) The Next Relationships (1:33:00) Second Husband (01:43:27) Our Children Are Angels (01:49:44) Getting Back Up After Being Knocked Down (01:54:36) New Album (01:56:04) TV Career (02:08:10) How Amazing Life Is Now (02:15:15) Self-Actualisation (With a Partner) (02:18:13) Breaking the Generational Curses (02:21:20) Where Is Your Dream Partner? (02:25:02) Flipping Society's Script (02:31:49) Most Memorable Conversation (02:35:11) Paul's Takeaways Sponsored by: Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/uk/express/ Tinder: https://tinder.com/en-GB Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	I was paranoid thinking that people around me were selling stories to the papers.
0:04.3	That was the least of what was about to happen.
0:06.5	The UK's biggest R&B star, she is, of course, Jamelia.
0:12.8	The winner is Jamelia.
0:16.8	The thing that I'm most proud of is my song, Thank You.
0:20.1	I was rising and becoming successful, but then it got really, really ugly.
0:26.6	I remember just being assaulted and nobody knew.
0:30.4	And I went back out and finished the video.
0:32.1	That was my most unhappy, my most paranoid, and my most isolated.
0:38.3	If you can go back in that office, you get the record deal, what would you have said?
0:45.7	All of my relationships have failed.
0:48.2	All of my relationships have broken down.
0:50.5	When I was three months pregnant, he just said I'm leaving.
0:55.7	I had?
0:57.1	I was absolutely broken because I didn't protect my kids from it.
1:00.9	There were points where I was just like, I'm not going to survive this.
1:05.2	Being a parent was the beginning of me bouncing back.
1:09.5	My children have saved me so many times. My childhood was getting
1:14.9	to see other people be loved. You don't believe those things will happen. The most important
1:20.8	relationship I will have is the one that I have with myself. But what is it that you want?
1:35.4	Before we get started, I want to personally invite you to subscribe if you haven't already.
1:40.1	Joining our community means you'll be the first to know when new conversations drop.
	...

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