Victoria Beckham’s stage school principal who she claimed ‘fat shamed her’ as a teen ahead of the Spice Girl developing devastating eating disorder to receive Olivier Awards prize

by

Victoria Beckham might have complicated emotions attending this year’s Olivier Awards, as her old drama school headteacher, Betty Laine, is being honored with a special Industry Recognition prize at the April event.

In her new memoir, 51-year-old Emma Bunton, formerly of the Spice Girls, revealed that a teacher made hurtful comments about her weight while she was a student at the Laine Theatre Arts school in Epsom, Surrey. She attended the school between the ages of 17 and 20.

Victoria recently shared in a Netflix documentary that she developed an eating disorder while at theatre school, where she took unhealthy measures to control her weight.

In her 2001 book, Learning To Fly, she remembered Betty jokingly telling her during rehearsals, “You’ve gained so much weight, I’ll have to bring you in on a crane – you’re so round!”

Victoria’s struggles with self-esteem started in her teens when she attended a school her parents paid for by taking out a second mortgage on their home. She kept this scholarship a secret from her parents, Tony and Jackie, whom she loved very much.

In her documentary, she explained that people with eating disorders often become skilled at deception. She admitted she hadn’t been truthful with her parents about her own struggles.

I’ve never discussed this openly, but it truly has an impact. Hearing you’re not good enough over and over again really gets to you, and I think I’ve carried that feeling with me throughout my life.

I’ve always admired her, even though she wasn’t naturally the strongest dancer or singer. What really struck me, though, was how she shared that she often felt different from everyone else at school. It was so relatable, and it made her even more inspiring to me.

She explains that she didn’t fit the typical mold of other girls, and that’s when people began to criticize how she looked and her weight.

I recall the theatre school principal telling me that, after the show, we’d be brought in from the back. He meant we weren’t considered as visually appealing as the other performers, so we wouldn’t be showcased prominently with the main entrance.

Victoria’s mother, Jackie, shared that someone told Victoria she was overweight and would be placed at the back as a result. Jackie believes this comment deeply affected her daughter, and she feels it was a cruel and unnecessary thing to say.

The Olivier Awards, given by the Society of London Theatre, honor people who have greatly impacted the world of theatre.

Laine Theatre Arts announced on Instagram that its founder, Betty Laine, has received a prestigious award at the Olivier Awards. The school expressed immense pride in her achievement, noting her long-standing role as Principal Emerita.

As a longtime admirer, I couldn’t be happier to see Betty Laine receive this well-deserved recognition. For over fifty years, she’s given so much to the world of performance and dedicated herself to training countless professionals – it’s a truly fitting tribute to her incredible legacy.

With her clear vision, hard work, and dedication to quality, she built Laine Theatre Arts into one of the UK’s top colleges for musical theatre and dance.

Betty Laine had a huge impact on the performing arts, extending well beyond the college where she taught. Many successful directors, choreographers, performers, and industry professionals working in London’s West End and around the world were shaped by her guidance. She was known for her dedication to developing talent, emphasizing hard work, and teaching artists to be professional – qualities that have benefited the theatre world for generations.

We offer Miss Laine our warmest congratulations on this richly deserved recognition’.

Daily Mail have contacted Victoria’s representatives and Laine Theatre Arts for comment.  

Victoria Beckham, who became famous in the mid-1990s as a member of the Spice Girls, remembers a time when she was weighed on live television by Chris Evans. This happened on his Channel 4 show, TFI Friday, just months after she gave birth to her first child, Brooklyn, in 1999, and he was checking to see if she had lost the weight gained during pregnancy.

She appeared happy then, but now she’s sharing how difficult it was being a new mother at 25.

Victoria recalls being publicly weighed on television as a child. While people joked about her weight at the time, she says it was a painful experience because she was so young.

Victoria shared that her disorder made her feel completely disconnected from reality, and it was both overwhelming and exhausting. She’s now focused on preventing her 14-year-old daughter, Harper, from experiencing the same struggles.

David has mentioned Victoria’s healthy diet, which focuses on steamed vegetables and fish. Victoria confirmed this, explaining that she’s always been very disciplined with her eating habits.

I’ve been following Victoria’s story, and it’s so inspiring to hear how she dealt with a really tough time. She explained that she used to be incredibly withdrawn, almost paralyzed by fear of opening up to anyone. It was like she just couldn’t bring herself to trust a single person, and she had to work through that all on her own to finally start changing things.

I was able to overcome my unhealthy focus on food and develop a balanced, healthy relationship with it – David really helped me with that. Now I’m healthy and disciplined.

Read More

2026-02-27 15:34