Alles oraait, Pam?: Former singer quit acting to focus on mental health
|Published
Happier place: Pam Andrews.Picture: Supplied
Former actress and singer Pam Andrews has spilled the tea on why she quit the small screen.
The 40-year-old mom of one shot to fame in 2002 when she was part of the first season of Coca-Cola Popstars.
Pam was a singer in the winning group called 101, alongside Erin Samson, Ntumiseng Mokhasipe, Preston Sihlangu and Kurt Herman.
After a short-lived music career, Pam became an actress, stealing the limelight as ‘Frankie’ in Backstage and then ‘Gail’ in Rhythm City.
And then the star suddenly went quiet, only to emerge years later in Europe, where she led a more private lifestyle.
Pam married her first husband, French engineer Cedric Thivillon in 2008, amid rumours that she had jolled with him while still engaged to late-night talk show host Paul Viv.
Before moving back to Cape Town in 2017, she was living it up in London with husband No 2, Polish businessman Voytek Pieron for two years.
She returned to SA for a short stint to focus on her acting career and then moved back to the UK in 2019, where she now resides with her 11-year-old son.
In 2019, the sexy heksie from Heideveld was very busy online, having fun on Instagram, as well as her YouTube channel, Gham Girl, where she dished out dating advice and shared naked selfies from her “naughty days”.
In a recent Instagram message to her nearly 39 000 followers, Pam opened up about her health struggles which caused her to quit acting.
She captioned the video: “Why I gave up my acting career😔.. it was one of the hardest things I've ever done.. I have PMDD wich causes me depression and anxiety, also ptsd symtoms.. While I was on Rhythm City I was struggling to remember my scripts and also was just having terrible body dysmorphia. Just feeling overwhelmed for no reason.
“Rhythm City producers were kind enough to release me from my contract earlier in 2019. I decided to give up my acting carreer and Move to London.. I am now a stay at home mom..I'm raising my son in a cute little village in london.. I actually love it.. I have to live a very calm and stress-free life in order not to trigger my Hormones.. I chose my Mental health over my career 🙂.. I'm blessed to have a wonderful husband who loves and supports me (SIC)”.
Pam said she started going to group therapy because of “childhood trauma” that is now catching up with her.
She said she suffers from PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder), a hormone imbalance that makes her ill for two weeks, every single month.
To avoid triggers, so she avoids people, food and exercise and even has her food delivered at home.
She adds: “Sometimes I get frustrated because I'm an actress; I'm a performer, I love performing but I can't do that right now.
“My son is my priority, I've got to decide what's more important my mental health or fame and whatever.”