90s TV pin-up admits she’s spending Christmas alone after working for free in heartbreaking post

A FORMER 90s TV pin-up said “I need a hug” after revealing she’s spending Christmas alone and has been let down by a charity in a heartbreaking post.

had her hopes of seeing her favourite band Radiohead dashed when a charity she works for withdrew a ticket from her, leaving her devastated.

Gail Porter is having a tough time after being let down by a friend and charityCredit: Gail Porter In the late 90s, Gail was one of TV’s biggest starsCredit: Rex

Sharing a street selfie with a cap pulled over her face, she wrote on Instagram: “The Sunday face when a charity you work for offers a ‘thank you’ with a ticket to one of your favourites… (clue in this post!)
then messages to say… oh sorry… you can’t have the ticket now. Our bad! Oh well. Lucky I don’t cry too easily.”

Her followers were quick to figure out she was referring to the Thom Yorke-led band who are playing live again for the first time in over eight years, and one even tagged the group in the hope they could help.

Gail followed it with another post in which she revealed she’d been let down by a promoter, as well as a friend who failed to invite her over for Christmas.

“And last moan…. I promise,” she began “I did a job for free recently and they offered to donate money to a charity of my choice…. Still waiting.

“And… my friend asked what i was doing for Christmas. I said nothing planned… she suggested i do charity work. Has she any idea what I dedicate half my life to? [sad emoji] Just a hug is all i really need!”

Her followers rallied to support her, with one commenting on the first post: “So sad for you Gail you just head home and put a cd on.”

Another said: “It sounds like you’re being taken for granted, Gail. You need to take care of yourself too.”

A third posted: “That’s terrible!”

Former Top of the Pops and Wish You Were Here host Gail had it all in the late 90s and early noughties as one of telly’s most in-demand young presenters.

But behind the scenes, her life began to spiral as a multitude of personal issues affected her work life.

Her hair began falling out in 2005 due to . She refused to wear a hat or wig, which meant offers for TV presenting jobs dried up.

Around the same time, Gail went through a painful divorce from Toploader guitarist Dan Hipgrave – her daughter Honey’s dad – after three years of marriage.

Gail, who is bipolar and battled anorexia from the age of 16, was sectioned under the Mental Health Act in 2011 for 17 days.

She told the Independent : “It was absolutely terrifying, I didn’t know what was going on.”

In 2014, due to a lack of work and financial difficulties, .

She was declared bankrupt and lived off just £200 a month, fuelling herself with Marmite on toast.

The struggling star spent nights on park benches in Hampstead Heath and felt too ashamed to ask for help, before eventually turning to friends and sofa-surfing.

She previously said: “It was scary, I must admit. You’re sitting around thinking, ‘I don’t know where to stay. I have nothing to do.’”

The following summer, she spent 20 days in the Celebrity Big Brother house, which paid for the deposit on her London flat.

Two years ago, Gail opened up to The Sun about her fears that she could end up on the street again, despite turning her life around.

She said: “Everything seems to be going up and up, and people are worried about whether they can pay the bills.

“I think most people spend about 80 per cent of their wages on rent, bills, and everything else.

“I still get nervous now thinking, ‘Okay, I’m okay, I’m on a level,’ but because I’ve been there before, and I know that so many people are struggling, I’m thinking at any point, it could all go really badly wrong.”

The star, who has alopecia, saw her TV career stall after she refused to wear a wigCredit: Getty