'I'M NOT AFRAID ANY MORE'

Vanessa Bauer reveals how baring all on The Real Full Monty has helped to ease her private pain

- CHRISTINE SMITH

Glamorous Dancing On Ice star Vanessa Bauer has revealed how stripping naked on The Real Full Monty: Jingle Balls has finally helped her to come to terms with the secret heartache she’s kept hidden from the glitzy world of TV.

Vanessa – who stepped out with her new boyfriend Dan Underwood in September – says she has struggled to open up publicly about how much losing her beloved dad, Marco, in September 2021 to throat cancer has affected her.

Meanwhile a long battle with bulimia that saw her receive professional counselling for 10 years has also been a trauma she’s tried to hide.

So, when The Real Full Monty bosses approached her about taking part in this year’s programme, Vanessa had to think twice. But not because she was scared of taking off her clothes on stage.

“It has been so hard for me to come to terms with the fact that Dad is no longer with us,” reveals Vanessa in our exclusive interview. “I didn’t think I would be able to speak publicly about it.

“I just love to perform so [stripping on stage] wasn’t nerve-wracking. The nerve-wracking part was having to speak about such difficult topics that are close to my heart.

“I was 18 when Dad got diagnosed with cancer and it has been a huge chapter in my life. He wanted me to do The Real Full Monty when he was still alive but it was hurting me too much [inside]. People saw me shine on Dancing On Ice but I kept thinking Dad could die at any time. It was difficult for me to talk about. Even after he died, I found myself in social settings wanting to hide. I felt my tears coming on if someone mentioned Dad or cancer.”