Union J’s Jaymi Hensley opens up about weight and alcohol struggles
By Josh Lee
Union Jay singer Jaymi Hensley has spoken out about battling with depression, food and alcohol after receiving negative attention about his weight.
The Sun reports that a holiday photo which garnered unpleasant coverage online in 2014 pushed him into a problematic relationship with food and dieting.
“I lost a good two and a half stone to three stone since X Factor and became very skinny,” he explained.
“I would binge eat. My biggest demon was food. I would get skinny so that I could eat again, then I wouldn’t eat so I could get skinny again.
The reaction came as he found headlines describing him as “Fat Jamie” and “Beer Belly” online.
The singer also began to drink heavily. He explained how his fame gave him access to parties that would see him drinking every night until 3am and then getting up for work at 7am. But when Union J’s record deal with Sony RCA expired, he felt like he had to continue partying to give the impression that things were still going well for the group.
“I did the midlife crisis thing. I would go out all the time, I would make sure I was seen at events wearing posh clothes to try and cling onto the fact that people need to see us,” he explained.
He was subsequently diagnosed with anxiety and depression, which he began receiving treatment for.
He said: “I went to the doctor and said, ‘Look I don’t know what’s wrong with me at the minute, I’ve got no energy. I’m really not happy. What’s the matter?’
“I did this questionnaire and I ticked every single box.”
Now, back to full health, Jaymi has become an ambassador for mental health charity Mind. And with George Shelley’s replacement Casey Johnson in the band, the group are ready for another shot at stardom.