Gail Porter says she never earned a penny from the FHM nude shoot that was projected onto Parliament in the 1990s

Gail Porter has revealed that she did not earn any money from her infamous FHM nude shoot, which in 1999 was projected onto the Houses of Parliament as part of a publicity stunt for the magazine’s Sexiest Woman feature. The projection helped FHM push sales to more than a million copies within about two months, but Porter says she was left uninformed about the stunt and received no payment for it.

Porter, now 54, recalled the moment and its aftermath during an appearance on the Skin, Unfiltered podcast. She said she had no idea the image would be shown on the historic building and that the magazine stood to profit significantly from the controversy. “FHM pocketed all the cash and they made a fortune,” Porter said, describing how the stunt spawned intense public reaction. She added that she endured misperceptions that she had been involved in or profited from the decision, which amplified harassment and scrutiny in the years that followed. “People thought I was involved, people thought I knew about it, people thought I made loads of money off of it. … I didn’t get paid.”

The episode marked a rough chapter in a career that had elevated Porter to household-name status in the 1990s. She had become a familiar presence on television and in lads’ magazines, including Loaded, and was among the era’s most recognizable personalities. But the fallout from the Parliament stunt coincided with a broader arc of personal challenges. Porter has spoken openly about a years-long struggle with mental health issues, alopecia, and financial hardship that ultimately led to bankruptcy and a dramatic fall from the public eye.

The public scrutiny that followed the Parliament stunt was only part of a larger sequence of personal trials. Porter described a period in which she faced relentless press attention, feminist critics, and threats of harassment as a result of the incident. She recalled the era as “horrific,” saying there was little to no support at the time. The weight of fame, coupled with medical and financial pressures, contributed to a downward spiral that included a battle with alopecia beginning in 2005, years of depression, and, eventually, bankruptcy in 2017.

From those lows, Porter says she began a slow and deliberate return to stability. She has since built a life focused on advocacy and service, working with charity organizations and speaking about mental health and homelessness. In 2020, she earned a BAFTA for Being Gail Porter, a documentary that chronicled her journey through those years of hardship toward renewed purpose. Her story has intersected with advocacy groups, including the Samaritans and Prince William’s Homewards campaign, which targets homelessness across the United Kingdom.

Porter has also recalibrated her personal and professional life. After years without hair due to alopecia, she embraced a new approach to self-expression, including a custom wig created with Amber Jean Rowan’s ethical wig company. She says the wig—dubbed “The Gail”—is not about concealing anything, but about choosing how she presents herself and exercising the freedom to change her look when she wishes. The collaboration marks a departure from past limitations and a step toward maintaining privacy while remaining visible in public life.

In her personal sphere, Porter says she is now focused on friends, her cat, and her daughter, Honey. She has described herself as not dating and not pursuing traditional romantic paths, a stance she says aligns with a broader sense of independence. Yet she emphasizes that the future holds possibilities as she continues to engage in meaningful work and public-facing projects that emphasize resilience and healing.

Looking back, Porter frames her story as one of resilience rather than resignation. She notes that the lowest moments—sleeping rough on Hampstead Heath after sofa-surfing failed to provide stability and periods of unemployment—were followed by a steady rebuilding process built on charity, exercise, and purpose-driven work. She believes her experiences have given her a platform to help others facing similar struggles, and she remains committed to using her visibility to support charitable causes and to advocate for mental health awareness and homelessness services in the UK.

As she moves forward, Porter says the key to her recovery has been acceptance, honesty, and a willingness to rebuild on her own terms. “It’s proof we get through,” she has said, underscoring the arc from a controversial moment in the 1990s to a constructive present rooted in advocacy, creativity, and personal autonomy. Her story continues to resonate with fans who watched her rise to fame and now see her reshape her public persona around empathy, resilience, and a renewed sense of purpose.