England football star Chloe Kelly has confessed she still cannot bring herself to listen to the raw podcast interview where she first detailed her profound battles with anxiety and the autoimmune condition alopecia, stating it would feel like ‘reliving everything again’.
From Bathroom Floor to Trophy Glory
The 27-year-old Arsenal forward, now nominated for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award, has enjoyed a phenomenal year on the pitch. She scored the decisive penalty in the 2025 Women’s Euros final and, just nine weeks earlier, started in the Champions League final as Arsenal claimed their first title in the competition for 18 years.
This remarkable sporting climax stands in stark contrast to how her year began. Kelly revealed her year started ‘on her bathroom floor, sick and overwhelmed’, grappling with severe anxiety and the onset of alopecia, a struggle she made public on Fearne Cotton’s Happy Place podcast.
‘I haven't listened to the podcast because it feels like you're reliving everything again,’ Kelly said on Tuesday. ‘But my mum and Scott shared a tear because actually, it’s reliving it for them too. I’m grateful for both of them. They got me through a tough time.’
A Pivotal Move and the Road to Recovery
The first signs of recovery emerged at the end of January with a loan move from Manchester City back to her childhood club, Arsenal. ‘January was the end of, and breaking a cycle, which I was stuck in,’ Kelly explained. ‘Taking that step and making that move to Arsenal… one that I'll be forever grateful for.’
Despite the positive change, her physical battle with alopecia continued. She described the difficulty before a north London derby in February, struggling to cover bald patches on her head. This led to consultations with doctors and a specialist, resulting in injections to treat the condition. ‘I knew that I needed to do that to feel better and to feel myself not on the pitch but away from the pitch as well,’ she stated.
Thriving Under Pressure
As her mental health rebuilt off the pitch, her form soared on it. Initially aiming just to make Sarina Wiegman’s Euros squad, she exceeded all expectations. Kelly exuded supreme confidence during the tournament, converting three crucial penalties in the knockout stages.
She credits her past setbacks for this composure: ‘The setbacks in my career allow me to be confident because I'm like, “what's worse than then?”… it can't get worse than the situation of my ACL or how I was feeling in January.’
Kelly now finds herself nominated for the prestigious BBC SPOTY award, alongside contenders like Rory McIlroy and Lando Norris. ‘It's a night to celebrate sport across the board,’ she said. ‘I'm honoured to be nominated.’
Her story is a powerful testament to resilience, culminating in a year where personal vulnerability paved the way for historic professional triumph.
