Singer and actress Natalie Imbruglia has shared details of a challenging period in her life when she struggled financially and had to live in a friend's basement after achieving fame on the Australian soap opera "Neighbours."
Imbruglia, 51, began her career on "Neighbours" in 1992, departing the show two years later. She explained in an interview on Davina McCall's "Big Again" podcast that she found it difficult to secure acting roles in the UK, as casting directors were hesitant to hire stars from the popular soap.
"So I then went to England and that's when I couldn't get a visa to work as an actress and they were really cracking down on the Neighbours stars taking English actors roles and that was a hard time because I ran out of money," Imbruglia stated.
She described a period where, after her initial success and subsequent appearances and autograph signings, the money began to dwindle. This led to a strained conversation with her father, who inquired about her employment status. Imbruglia recalled feeling embarrassed by his question, which prompted a change in her circumstances. At one point, she was living in the basement of a large house in Chelsea, London, with no personal funds.
"And, a lot of conversations with God about if I ever get lucky again," she said of this difficult time.
Imbruglia also spoke about her recent diagnosis with ADHD and OCD, as well as her experiences with perimenopause. She described the perimenopausal phase as a "grieving process" that left her feeling angry and like a part of her personality had been lost. She found speaking with Davina McCall, a menopause campaigner, helpful in navigating these feelings of anger and anxiety.
Imbruglia is managing her symptoms with HRT creams and noted that discussions around menopause are becoming less taboo. She is preparing to release her sixth album, titled "Algorithm," in September and has upcoming festival appearances this summer. She mentioned that her neurodiversity can make her particularly nervous before performances, a sentiment that was exacerbated by perimenopause.
Natalie Imbruglia briefly returned to "Neighbours" for its final episode in 2022, appearing in a montage.