Billie Piper has shed light on her marriage to Chris Evans, which she described as being "drunk for five years".
The Secret Diaries of A Call Girl star married Chris in 2001 when he was 35 and she was 18, causing a national media storm with the pair instantly becoming the hottest couple in showbiz.
However, Billie, now 40, claims she had to deal with a lot of "baggage" when she made the move from being a popstar to being an actress due to their relationship.
The mum-of-three says she had to deal with "tabloid fodder" as she attempted to create a new name for herself.
"Rather than 'oh she was a popstar', it was more 'she was a popstar, then she got p***ed for five years with an old man,'" she said.
Billie went on to add that her marriage left a "lasting image" when she walked into an audition room.
Reflecting on their marriage, she went on to tell The Guardian : "Loved it, loved that time, learned so much, [I] really needed it, after the experiences that I'd had, leading up to that point and I felt like I'd actually found a real friend.
"I guess meeting someone who had experienced [fame] for 20 years, at that level, it was very nurturing and also very drunken, which I needed, I had a lot of fun during those years."
Billie and Chris went on to split in 2007 when she was just 21 but since their divorce, they have remained close friends and often praise their relationship.
Since divorcing Chris, Billie previously tied the knot with former actor Laurence Fox who she shares two children, but subsequently divorced in 2016, nine years after they said: "I do".
Nowadays, she's in a happy relationship with musician Johnny Lloyd, who she shares her youngest child with.
But while Billie may be a household name for her roles in the likes of Doctor Who and I Hate Suzie, the actress hates the idea of fame, describing it as "gross".
She said: "It's such a dark thing and it will change your everyday experience of life in a way that is depressing, frankly, in my experience of it."
Now, she's hoping to act "less and less" and move into the production side of television as she "loves creating things", admitting that she's "tired" of "the nonsense" that surrounds the acting industry.
