Growing Pains is the title of

Billie Piper Billie Paul Piper (born Leian Paul Piper; 22 September 1982) is an English actress and former singer. She initially gained recognition as a singer after releasing her debut single "Because We Want To" at age 15, which made her the youngest woman ...

autobiography An autobiography, sometimes informally called an autobio, is a self-written account of one's own life. It is a form of biography. Definition The word "autobiography" was first used deprecatingly by William Taylor in 1797 in the English peri ...

, released 19 October 2006 by

Hodder & Stoughton Hodder & Stoughton is a British publishing house, now an imprint (trade name), imprint of Hachette (publisher), Hachette. History Early history The firm has its origins in the 1840s, with Matthew Hodder's employment, aged 14, with Messrs ...

. Piper signed a six-figure contract with publishers Hodder & Stoughton to write her autobiography ''Growing Pains'', which was released in the autumn of 2006. Apparently (according to a ''Top Gear'' interview), Piper only released the autobiography due to an unauthorised biography coming out. In the book, Piper divulges about her battle with anorexia that developed after a television presenter called her fat when she was a 16-year-old pop star. Piper began to use laxatives as well as starvation to drop weight. During a US promotional tour, she contemplated suicide as a result of low record sales and self-doubt. She admits to managing five days without food during which time she existed on nothing more than Diet Coke and coffee. She also stated that her relationship with Chris Evans made her ditch her starvation diet and gave her a new zest for life. However, after her split with Evans, Piper returned to anorexia. In the autobiography, Piper said that eating disorders were rife among the girls at her former school, the

Sylvia Young Theatre School Sylvia Young Theatre School is an independent school in Marble Arch, London, England. It is a specialist performing arts school named after its founder and principal, Sylvia Young OBE. Outline The Sylvia Young Theatre School was founded in 19 ...

. Young has since spoken out against Piper calling her claim "rubbish" and stating she feels "bewildered" by the allegation. In recent publication, a re-issue of her autobiography has been printed. The re-issue features critics' reviews on the back, a completely different cover and an extension chapter. There are 4 special photo sections in the book.

References

2006 non-fiction books Hodder & Stoughton books British biographies {{music-bio-book-stub