Imagine being thrust into the spotlight, only to feel 'brutalised' by the very experience that launched your career. This is the stark reality actress Jessie Buckley, now a celebrated Hollywood star, shared about her time on the 2008 BBC talent show I'd Do Anything.
Buckley, now 36, was the runner-up on the show, which aimed to find an actress to play Nancy in a West End production of Oliver!. In a candid interview with Vogue, she revealed the emotional toll the experience took, describing feeling 'unfair objectification' during a formative period of her life. She was, as she put it, 'trying to move into a space for myself.'
Reflecting on her younger self, Buckley expressed both admiration and concern: 'I look back at it and I feel like, 'God, you're so brave.' I don't know if I'd have that courage now. And I don't know if that was kind of innocence or ignorance.' She also admitted to being 'not fully well' and 'depressed' at the time.
But here's where it gets controversial... Buckley detailed the body shaming and pressure to conform to a specific standard of femininity she faced on the show. 'And I was growing into my body,' she said, recalling her 17-year-old self. 'I was in a moment of discovery. As women, it's such unfair objectification.' One choreographer, for instance, allegedly urged her to be 'more ladylike' and learn to dance in six-inch heels.
Buckley's experience raises important questions about the pressures placed on young women in the entertainment industry. She poignantly stated, 'I really hope that a 15, 17, whatever-age woman never has to be brutalised quite like what happened on that show.'
The BBC responded by highlighting its duty of care policies, which have been strengthened over the years, ensuring that all complaints and concerns are treated with utmost seriousness.
Following I'd Do Anything, Buckley made a pivotal decision. She declined an offer to be the understudy for the winner, Jodie Prenger, and instead forged her own path in London's theatre scene. She took a job in Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory theatre.
And this is the part most people miss... Buckley revealed the struggles she faced early in her career. 'I was just lost. When you're told, culturally, in different ways, that you have to kind of mould yourself into a shape that doesn't naturally fit you, in some ways you incubate that messaging and then it becomes self-destructive.' This realization became a turning point, with her 'life goal' shifting to 'unravel myself from the sort of miseducation, from stories that don't actually serve me, and just find life.'
Buckley's journey has led her to critical acclaim. She is now widely considered a frontrunner for the best actress awards at prestigious events like the Golden Globes, Baftas, and Oscars for her performance in Hamnet. In the film, she stars opposite Paul Mescal, and the film is directed by Chloé Zhao, adapted from the novel by Maggie O'Farrell, focusing on the death of William Shakespeare's son.
What do you think? Do you believe talent shows have a responsibility to protect young contestants from such pressures? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
