26 Facts About Gail Porter

Gail Porter was born on 23 March 1971 and is a Scottish television personality, former model and actress.

Gail Porter started her television career in children's TV, before branching out into modelling and presenting mainstream TV.

Later in her career, Porter has been affected by alopecia, a condition which causes hair loss.

Gail Porter grew up in Joppa, Edinburgh and attended Portobello High School.

Gail Porter studied for a BTec HND in media production at West Herts College.

In 2001, Gail Porter took part in the reality television show Celebrity Blind Man's Bluff and on Lily Savage's Blankety Blank.

In 2008 to 2011, Gail Porter was a regular panelist on Channel 5's The Wright Stuff.

In 2014, Gail Porter was a guest editor of Fashion Plus magazine.

Gail Porter appeared at London Fashion Week in September 2014 and wrote of her experiences for the magazine.

In 2020, Gail Porter narrated the BBC Scotland series Inside The Zoo.

At the start of 2022, Gail Porter was a presenter of Spooked Scotland alongside Chris Fleming.

Gail Porter decided not to wear a hat or wig in order to raise awareness of the condition.

Gail Porter became ambassador for the Little Princess Trust, a charity which provides wigs to children with hair loss.

Porter's condition was the subject of the BBC ONE Life series documentary Gail Porter Laid Bare on 31 May 2006.

Gail Porter's autobiography, Laid Bare: My Story of Love, Fame and Survival, was published in September 2007.

Gail Porter takes part in a number of charitable causes.

Gail Porter is a vice-president of The Children's Trust, a UK charity for children with brain injuries, and is an ambassador for Together Co, a loneliness charity in Brighton and Hove.

Gail Porter tried stand-up comedy and appeared at the Comedy Store on 23 November 2009 in the Laughing Point event to help the youth homelessness charity, Centrepoint.

Gail Porter married Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave in August 2001 and gave birth to their daughter Honey on 3 September 2002.

Gail Porter said in February 2005 that they had separated eight months earlier.

Gail Porter has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and borderline personality disorder.

On 8 September 2011, Gail Porter told BBC Radio 5 Live's presenter Phil Williams that she had been detained under the Mental Health Act of 2007 for 17 days of treatment against her will.

Gail Porter stated that the signature on the documents to have her involuntarily committed to psychiatric treatment was that of her then-boyfriend, after texting him to say she felt suicidal.

Gail Porter said she had been "very frail, so who knows".

Gail Porter said she felt no benefit from the stay.

Gail Porter praised the staff but said the resources and the facilities were under-funded.