MEGAN MCKENNA ON LETTING GO OF THE PAST
MEGAN MCKENNA TALKS EXCLUSIVELY TO OK!’S KATIE LANGFORD-FOSTER ABOUT HER ‘X FACTOR’ DREAM AND LEARNING TO LET GO OF THE PAST
For Megan Mckenna, singing her heart out on The X Factor: Celebrity stage is a dream come true. The 27-year-old singer’s dulcet tones and original tracks have won over the nation, as well as judges Simon Cowell, Nicole Scherzinger and her mentor, Louis Walsh.
When OK! joins Megan at Oliver’s Jazz Club in Greenwich for our exclusive shoot, the star greets us with a warm smile and a hug. And we soon discover that Megan is more than happy to have a little laugh at herself. Reflecting on her reality TV days, where some explosive arguments saw her christened ‘mental Meg’, she explains: ‘I am really happy in myself now and I’ve grown up a lot since then. I’ve just got to laugh at myself and think, God what a t*t!’
After finding fame on Ex On The Beach back in 2015, Megan went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother and then on The Only Way Is Essex, alongside her then boyfriend Pete Wicks. But music, she says, has always been her number one.
She began attending auditions at just eight years old, was a semifinalist on Britain’s Got Talent at 16, and also made it to bootcamp on The X Factor on two occasions but failed to make the live shows. And in a bid to be taken more seriously in the music industry, the Essex girl had her lip fillers removed. Her excessive use of filler, she explains, was fuelled by body dysmorphia. Now, she says: ‘I’ve learned to accept my looks and that’s made me so much happier.’
Her professional dreams finally coming true will be a positive end to what has been a particularly difficult year for Megan, following the death of her former boyfriend Mike Thalassitis in March. The couple had split in July 2018 after seven months together. Megan is currently single and happily focussing on her work.
Here, Megan – whose debut album Story Of Me was released in 2018 – tells OK! about living with no regrets and her plans to tour the world…
You seem very happy in yourself at the moment…
I just feel like this show has come at the perfect time. I feel like I’ve been away from reality TV for a while now, and this is my perfect crossover point.
Which has been the hardest of your songs to write?
Stronger, which I sang on The X Factor live shows in week two.
It’s about my late grandad, and singing the words he would say to me, to never give up, no matter how many knockbacks you get in your career was quite emotional, especially because I knew my mum and nan were in the audience. They were really moved.
Did you ever feel like giving up on music after being knocked back?
Never! I’m never, ever giving up. Even if I asked myself, Is this ever going to happen?, I knew deep inside it was what I’m meant to be doing. So I haven’t stopped. And I won’t stop, no matter what happens in this competition.
You’ve got emotional a few times on the show. Why does this mean so much to you? Just because ever since I was young, this has always been my dream. I know I have done all the reality shows but that wasn’t what I wanted to do. I never had any links to the music industry, so when I had a chance to do reality shows I took them. I thought, I’ve got to get in there somehow. It’s a platform. I also knew reality TV could possibly affect my music career, but I thought no one has given me the chance so far, so I’m going to take that risk. Luckily, it’s worked out. If I had never gone on reality TV all those years ago, I would never be where I am today.
Despite that, do you have any regrets about doing reality TV?
No, I don’t have any regrets because I feel like it’s a part of my story. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve made a few mistakes on TV, which will be online forever [laughs]. But I was growing up. Everybody grows up, of course, just not many people’s mistakes get filmed. I’m not ashamed of it, that was just a part of me, and many people probably went through similar stuff growing up. I was young and stupid, and I would say stupid things. I’ve grown up a lot now and I know when to keep my mouth shut!
Some people have suggested you have an advantage in the competition as you’d released music before doing The X Factor…
I’ve been trying my whole life for this and auditioning for things since I was about eight. It isn’t like this show has just come along and I thought, Oh maybe I want to be a singer. This is what I’ve always worked towards and I’ve not really been taken that seriously because of reality TV. So, actually no, for me to be taken seriously with my music has almost been harder because of my background.
How does it feel to surprise those who doubted you?
It’s so nice that people are actually taking me seriously because I did have a lot of people who were doubting me. The feedback has just been really amazing.
Because we’re seeing a very different side to you on The X Factor, what would you say to those who might question if you’re being genuine?
Look, I’ve had a few arguments on TV. But anybody who has an argument on TV is never going to come across well. But I feel like I’m really happy in myself now and that makes a difference in the way you approach things and react. And, like I’ve said, I’ve grown up a lot. I’ve just got to laugh back at myself and think, God what a t*t! [Laughs].
You’ve stripped down your look and taken your lip fillers out.
Was there a particular thing that prompted that decision? I was in Nashville in April. I was sitting round the pool, trying to get the last bit of sun before coming home. I was just like: ‘That’s it, I’m getting them dissolved.’ I came back and booked it straight away.
I went back twice and had the dissolvent injected. I was a bit taken aback at first because it felt like my lips were collapsing. I used to look at myself and think they weren’t big, so every couple of months I’d go and get more and more to the point where my lips were sore. They were awful. Everything I was doing with my music, every TV appearance, everyone was just talking about my lips. It was upsetting me because I’ve worked so hard to get where I am and it was getting ruined by my appearance. It’s difficult because I was suffering from body dysmorphia badly. I used to go on editing apps and make my lips look bigger than they were on a picture that I would upload. It’s embarrassing when I look back. I actually think getting rid of my lip fillers has made me look younger!
Do you think being in the reality TV world influenced your decision to have filler in the first place?
Being on camera in general makes you look at yourself from all different angles and I think Instagram is a big part of it too. I’d always look at these models with big lips and perfect faces and think, I want to look like them.
Do you feel more confident now?
Yes, I’ve learned to accept my looks. I’ve just accepted that my face is the way it is and that’s made me happy.
Simon criticised your outfit as being ‘Essex’. Will you take on board his feedback?
Well, I don’t think my style is Essex at all! But I took that as a good thing, because everything he said about my song and performance was amazing, so if the only thing he could criticise was my outfit, then I’ll take that any day!
Simon does seem to be a big fan of yours…
Simon is so nice! I’m not just saying that because I’m on his show [laughs]. I get such a good vibe from him. He has been so supportive, and the fact he downloaded my
song is amazing! Simon Cowell has officially got Megan Mckenna in his itunes library, wow! And [his son] Eric is so cute and Lauren [Silverman, Simon’s partner] is also really lovely, and gorgeous! You can just tell they are a really, really lovely family.
How has Louis been as a mentor?
He is so supportive of me. I really like him and he’s such a nice guy, and it’s so nice to have someone backing me. We’ll stay in touch, whatever happens. And I can’t get over Nicole Scherzinger’s comments! I love her. Nicole’s voice is just out of this world and the fact that she says I make her emotional when I perform is the ultimate compliment.
Are you dating anyone at the moment?
No, I’m single! What I have learned is to love being an independent woman. I feel really happy with myself at the moment and I just really want to focus on my music. I am so busy, I don’t even get a minute to go food shopping. I haven’t even got a tin of beans in the cupboard! I haven’t had time to get a spray tan either! But I have always wanted what I am living right now, so I’m looking out for myself at the moment.
What would you like to happen in the next year?
I want to go on a tour and be travelling all over the world singing! My family can come and join me for mini holidays. I really want to go for it and focus on my dream.
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‘I HAVE DONE ALL THE REALITY SHOWS BUT THAT WASN’T WHAT I WANTED TO DO ’