Popular British comedian Miranda Hart has worried fans by hinting that she is struggling with an unnamed illness. In an Instagram post, the 51-year-old also confessed that she has “felt shame” about her weight, adding, “But life happens. Illness happens.” The comedian offered advice on what she believes is the “greatest healer,” saying the key was “self-compassion.”
Fans responded to Hart’s posts, and some shared their own stories of struggling with weight and associated emotional pressures. One supporter stated that she had “fought” all her life; not to reach often-unreasonable beauty standards but for her own health and well-being. Others simply told the star, “We love you.”
Ms. Hart, known in her home country simply as Miranda, has just completed an autobiography which is notably entitled “I Haven’t Been Entirely Honest With You.” The book, released in October, reportedly reveals intimate details of Miranda’s life and the lessons she has learned from her challenging experiences. In promoting the book, Hart said the last decade has been “surprising” and has brought her immense joy mixed with “trials” that she endured but came out unscathed. “I am sharing the treasures that I learned in darkness,” she declared.
The much-loved actress is best known for her comedy “Miranda,” in which she plays an awkward but lovable joke store owner struggling with loneliness and unrequited love. Hart has often stated that she relates to the bumbling character she plays but admits that she suffers from depression and anxiety – sometimes causing her to withdraw from performances. In 2017, for instance, she was due to star in a re-telling of the musical Annie in London’s West End theater district but pulled out at the last minute, saying her depression made her feel like she was “wading through treacle.”
She has also acknowledged her struggles with agoraphobia and thoughts that the world is a very frightening place. “I just hid in a room in the house and didn’t really go out,” she confessed. Miranda has also stated that she believes she was “wired wrong” because she has always seen the world from a negative perspective – a revelation that stunned fans given her upbeat and fun-loving public persona.
