Singer Tom Grennan was previously the victim of a violent attack that left him with a broken jaw.
The musician – who is on Sunday Brunch today (August 17) – has become one of the UK’s biggest musicals stars in recent years.
But when Tom was just 17 years old, he was attacked by a group of strangers in his hometown of Bedford.
And the ordeal had a long-term impact on Tom, both physically and mentally.
Tom Grennan on being attacked
Appearing on Pete Wicks’ podcast Man Made, Tom recalled the violent life-changing incident.
Explaining that it was a ‘random attack’, Tom said: “I got held by three guys, bear hugged, so I couldn’t move and just kept getting pounded in my face.
It completely changed my whole life.
“I was there, couldn’t move whilst taking the punches and I think that – well, 17, just turning 18 and that flipped life on its head, where it [emasculated] me, do you know what I mean? Whatever that word is.
“I was like, you’ve completely ripped out every little bit of confidence, every little bit of me, I wasn’t me any more. From that little moment, it completely changed my whole life. I had to rebuild everything and I think that’s obviously where my anxiety came from, the beginning of it.”
‘It all happened so quickly’
Celebrity Gogglebox star Tom also spoke about the ordeal on the Hits Radio Off The Record series.
I was like, oh, my god, my jaw’s broken.
Sharing more details, Tom told Fleur East: “It all started kind of kicking off outside KFC. I’m not involved in this, but it was just down the road and then a few boys grabbed me.
“I couldn’t move and it all happened so quickly and I just got punched twice in my jaw and I remembered the feeling of like my jaw leaving my face.”
Tom went on: “And I was like, oh, my god, my jaw’s broken. And then that all happened like where I was just… I went into like the most depressed state I’ve ever, I didn’t know what mental health was. Do you know what I mean? I couldn’t leave my house for, like, a good like year.”
After the horrific attack, Tom had screws and metal plates placed in his jaw. Last year, though, he had them removed.
“They were pushing themselves out of my gums,” he told The Times.
“[Having surgery] was a relief for me. I’m no longer reminded of that time in my life. It was like I closed the door, and that was me being released, I suppose.”
Watch Tom on Sunday Brunch on Sunday (August 17) at 10am on Channel 4.
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