Gail Porter has revealed that she suffered from a black eye and bruises after she was “knocked over” while walking down the stairs in a London Tube station.
The Scottish TV presenter, 55, shared a selfie on Instagram that showed the extent of her injuries, including dark purple bruises around her eye and across her nose, as well as a scab on her upper lip.
Accident after theatre night
Porter recently attended the press night for the new Trainspotting musical at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, but the night ended with her getting into a “wee accident”.
In her post, she addressed “keyboard warriors” who had left negative comments about her appearance. “So... to all you wonderful keyboard warriors that said I’m looking old, and saying something was wrong with my face... I went to Trainspotting: The Musical to support my friends that created this. Last week... I was knocked over while going down the stairs at a London Tube station,” the Celebrity Big Brother star explained.
“It was just a wee accident on the stairs. Nothing intentional! My scars are superficial and it’s not a problem. It was an accident and it won’t stop me from being me,” Porter reassured fans.
Message of kindness
She had a message to those who criticised how she looked and added: “Please... from the bottom of my heart... don’t ever be disrespectful to anyone for how they look or how they are. Kindness is so invaluable.”
Porter shared two more posts shortly after, showing how well she had been able to cover up her injuries with make-up and was spending her day out and about. “I’m a wee Scottish Warrior. Just always look out for each other. Simple. And good concealer!” she wrote in one caption. In the other, where she added a pair of oversized sunglasses with green frames to her look, she added: “A few bruises well covered up! The wonders of make-up!”
Support from fans
Porter’s post about her injuries drew an outpouring of love from her fans and friends. “I hope you have a speedy recovery and you’re not feeling too much pain. Get well soon. Sending lots of love,” wrote TV producer Mike Kaufman.
Singer-songwriter Simon King added: “Babe! It was such a bloody good show that’s all you needed [on] the way home, sending lots of love and i hope you heal swiftly!”
Background
In 2023, Porter launched her stand-up career “to make people smile and laugh”, turning her struggles with homelessness, alopecia and mental health into comedy material. In an interview with The Standard at the time, she said: “Every single one of us has been through stuff; you don’t know what that person walking down the street has gone through, you don’t know what your neighbour has gone through unless people open up and talk about it. We’ve all got our little stories and we all deal with it in different ways and my way now is to try and be funny and do as much as possible to make people smile and laugh.”
The former children’s TV presenter became homeless in the 2000s after her alopecia diagnosis, which left her with total hair loss. She was also suffering from mental health issues at the time, and told Sky News in a 2023 interview that she was “completely scuppered” by an unexpected tax bill and was unable to afford to live in her home anymore. She said she moved between her friends’ spare bedrooms and sofas, but eventually found herself spending a few nights rough sleeping. “There were a couple of nights on Hampstead Heath, just sitting, thinking: 'I've got no idea where to go'. It was a very long six months, but I managed to get back on my feet again,” she told the broadcaster.
