The Press Shamed Me So Much I Left The Country | Amanda de Cadenet

Begin Again with Davina McCall

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Thursday, 18 June 2026 - 1 hour 18 minutes

Amanda de Cadenet became famous as a teenager, but behind the headlines was a young girl trying to survive. This is the story of the woman behind the image.

In this episode of Begin Again, Amanda de Cadenet joins Davina to talk about fame, shame, care, motherhood, sobriety, recovery, and what it means to finally tell your own story.

Amanda opens up about growing up fast in the public eye, going out clubbing at 14, being surrounded by older men, and trying to act like an adult long before she was ready. She reflects on the pain of feeling unprotected, the shame she carried as a young woman, and how being put into care while already famous became one of the most frightening and defining experiences of her life.

Davina and Amanda also explore the brutal reality of press intrusion, from paparazzi outside her school and care home to the tabloid body-shaming that eventually pushed her to leave the UK and start again in Los Angeles. Amanda speaks honestly about becoming a mother at 19, getting sober, breaking generational cycles, and why her daughter helped save her life.

They also discuss Amanda’s work as a photographer, storyteller and advocate for women, including how her own experiences of postpartum depression, grief and shame led her to create spaces where women could speak openly about the things they had been taught to hide.

At its heart, this is a conversation about survival, self-forgiveness, and reclaiming the parts of yourself that the world tried to define for you.

Amanda de Cadenet reminds us that shame can only survive in silence, and that sometimes beginning again means finally telling the truth in your own words.

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(00:00) Intro

(01:31) How Amanda And Davina First Met

(02:16) Why Clubbing At 14 Changed Everything

(03:32) How Absent Parents Shaped Amanda’s London Upbringing

(08:48) What Happens When Vulnerability Meets Predatory Men

(11:20) How Drugs And Alcohol Entered Amanda’s Life So Young

(13:19) SexualAssault At 14

(14:54) Why Amanda Went Into Care After Being Arrested

(26:23) How Amanda Began A Relationship With Duran Duran’s John Taylor (28:00) What Hosting The Word Really Meant For Amanda

(32:31) Why Media Harassment Pushed Amanda To Leave The UK

(35:15) How Atlanta Saved Amanda’s Life

(36:53) What Getting Sober Finally Made Possible

(38:23) How Amanda Started Over In America Without Fame

(40:21) How Amanda Found Her Passion For Photography

(44:31) When Amanda Photographed Keanu Reeves For Vogue

(45:59) The Real Story Behind The Conversation With Demi Moore

(53:31) How Grief Led Amanda To Become A Counselor

(58:21) Amanda’s Advice For Processing Grief In A Healthy Way

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