Celebrity Big Brother can often offer a side of people that audiences wouldn't necessarily expect to see.
In an interview with the Daily Star on Monday, October 6, actress Tina Malone said that when she appeared on the 2009 series, like all good reality television, it coincided with an incredibly difficult time in her life.
Tina, who we all fondly know as Mimi Maguire in Shameless, said she entered the series following heartbreak and depression after a toxic relationship had ended.
She said that it provided a distraction from the pain she was going through.
“I was in a place then where I needed to escape everything,” Tina said. “I was hurting inside, but nobody really knew.”
She stated that living in the Big Brother house made her face her emotions and ultimately process them.
The cameras and the pressure left no way to hide.
“It was raw and real”, she said.
Escaping pain through participating in Celebrity Big Brother
When Tina joined Celebrity Big Brother in 2009, viewers saw her as a loud and confident individual. Inside the house, she was quietly struggling with sadness and loss.“I had lost people I loved and was in a bad place,” she said. “The house became my escape, even though the cameras were always on.”
Tina said she did not expect how difficult the experience would be.
“You think you can act strong,” she said. “But once you are inside, you cannot pretend for long.” She laughed and joined group talks, but she often felt alone.
She said that being on the show helped her deal with her emotions.
“It was like therapy,” Tina said. “I had to face my feelings instead of running away.”
She added that even though she looked happy on screen, she was still fighting pain inside.
Her time in the Big Brother house gave her both comfort and challenge. It gave her space to step away from her problems, but it also made them clearer. Tina said that the experience made her understand herself better and gave her a chance to start healing.
Looking back and moving forward post the show
Tina said that her time on Celebrity Big Brother helped her change her life.
“I was grieving and did not know what to do,” she said. “Living in that house made me stop and think about everything.”
After the show, she began to take care of her mental health. She said that learning to talk about her feelings helped her recover.
“Back then, I kept everything to myself,” Tina said. “Now I tell people to open up. Staying quiet only makes it worse.”
Tina said that many viewers do not see what reality stars go through behind the scenes.
“People see the drama and jokes,” she said. “They do not see the pain behind the smiles.” For her, the show became a moment to face her truth and find strength again.
Now, Tina said she feels stronger and more honest about her struggles. “I survived it,” she said. “Sometimes you have to break before you can rebuild.” Her story reminds people that behind every show, there are real emotions and personal battles that often go unseen.
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