Gail Porter has shared images of a black eye and bruised, split lip sustained after being knocked down a flight of stairs at a London Underground station last week.
The 55-year-old Scottish presenter opened up about the incident on Instagram on Thursday after online trolls targeted her over her appearance, with some claiming she was “looking old.”
Ms Porter explained that the injuries were caused when another passenger pushed past her on the stairs, leading her to trip over.
She had been on her way to the opening night of Trainspotting The Musical on Wednesday, where she turned up to support friends involved in the production.
Red carpet photographs from the event showed her visible split lip, with a cap pulled low to conceal the bruising around her eye.
In her Instagram post, Ms Porter wrote: “Please… from the bottom of my heart.. don’t ever be disrespectful to anyone for how they look or how they are. Kindness is so invaluable x.”
She also posted a follow-up selfie, seemingly taken Tube escalator, writing: “I’m a wee Scottish Warrior. Just always look out for each other. Simple x And good concealer!!!”
One more post showed her sporting sunglasses inside a station and read: “A few bruises well covered up! The wonders of make up!!!!” (sic)
Gail Porter shared her injuries on social media
|
INSTAGRAM – IAMGAILPORTER
Plenty of famous faces quickly penned supporting messages in the comments, with presenter Sarah Cawood writing: “My poor girl! That looks sore. Honestly Gail, what IS this world we live in?”
Lizzie Cundy urged her to “ignore those who write nasty things,” while singer Clare Grogan simply sent a love heart emoji.
Ms Porter rose to prominence during the 1990s as a host on Top of the Pops and The Big Breakfast before becoming a lads’ mag favourite.
Her life took a dramatic turn in 2005 when she was diagnosed with alopecia while filming in the United States.
Gail Porter at the Trainspotting: The Musical opening
|
GETTY
Her long blonde hair fell out in clumps over just four weeks, along with her eyelashes and eyebrows.
She made the decision not to wear wigs, insisting on remaining authentic. Television work swiftly evaporated as a result.
“TV is a visual industry and they want you to look a certain way,” she told Closer. “The truth is I’m not pretty and I don’t have hair. I’d get work offers, but then it’d go quiet.”
Amid her divorce from Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave and with no income, Ms Porter ended up homeless, sleeping on benches and becoming increasingly depressed.
Gail Porter urged people to be kind
|
GETTY
In April, Ms Porter publicly accused Katie Price of cruelly mocking her hair loss.
Commenting on a Sky TV Instagram post promoting Ms Price’s documentary Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, Ms Porter alleged that the 48-year-old former glamour model had once introduced her to a boyfriend by saying: “This is Gail. She used to be pretty when she had hair. Google her.”
The claim drew a wave of sympathetic responses from followers, with one writing: “That must have been awful for you.”
Speaking on the BBC Access All Podcast in August 2023, Ms Porter reflected on how rapidly everything changed: “I had long blonde hair, and then four weeks later I was completely bald.
“People didn’t want to go near me for television or anything because I looked different.”
More recently, she has begun wearing the occasional wig, debuting a mid-length blonde hairpiece to followers in 2024.