Gareth Gates recently opened up about a painful incident during a holiday where his partner, Allana Taylor, had to intervene after he was cruelly bullied by a group of women.

The singer, who is 40 years old and has a stammer, shared his emotional experience with the panel on ITV’s Loose Women.

A Cruel Encounter

During the show, Gareth recalled how, while on a cruise, a group of women next door to his cabin started mocking his speech every time he stepped out on the balcony.

They made fun of his stammer by repeating his name, “G-G-G Gareth Gates,” and even singing the song “Cha-cha-cha changes.”

Gareth, who has been dealing with such mockery for most of his life, said, “I’m very, very used to that,” but it still affected him deeply.

Allana Steps In

The situation escalated, and after two or three days of relentless teasing, Allana had had enough.

Taking matters into her own hands, she knocked on the women’s door and asked them to stop.

“It was grown women doing it,” Gareth explained, highlighting how such behavior crosses a line.

While he’s no stranger to playful teasing among friends, he emphasized that mocking someone within earshot is a different matter altogether.

Thanks to Allana, the bullying ceased, and Gareth expressed his gratitude, calling her his “knight in shining armor.”

A History of Bullying

Gareth also reflected on the bullying he faced as a child due to his speech impediment.

“I was badly bullied, often beaten because of my speech,” he shared.

Despite the painful memories, he found a sense of gratitude for those experiences.

“In a weird way, I’m thankful for that,” he said, noting how the adversity made him resilient.

“It’s made me extremely resilient—I can take a lot now because of that.”

He went on to mention that the resilience he gained through his struggles helped him succeed in challenges like SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Raising Awareness

Myleene Klass, a fellow panelist, praised Gareth for his bravery in sharing his story.

Gareth admitted that interviews like this are his “worst nightmare,” but he believes in confronting his fears head-on.

He shared, “If you cower away, it gets worse; the fear grows.”

One of his proudest achievements, he added, is raising awareness about stammering.

“If you have these things holding you back, you can be whoever you want to be,” he said.

His message is clear: perseverance and resilience can lead to success, no matter the obstacles.

Loose Women airs weekdays at 12:30pm on ITV and is also available for streaming on ITVX.

This article was published on TDPel Media. Thanks for reading!

Share on Facebook «||» Share on Twitter «||» Share on Reddit «||» Share on LinkedIn