He might be one of Australia’s most popular artists, but Guy Sebastian’s rise to fame was fraught with issues. On last night’s episode of The Voice Australia, Guy— who coaches aspiring singers alongside Kelly Rowland, Boy George and Delta Goodrem— opened up about the trials and tribulations of trying to break into the entertainment industry, admitting he was constantly told he wasn’t thin enough or attractive enough to ever make it big time.
WATCH: Guy Sebastian questioned about Delta Goodrem while sitting next to wife
“I will say to you, I quit my uni degree and I did the same thing, I recorded demos and I went to labels and they told me I was too fat,” Guy said to contestant Diana Rouvas. “They told me I didn’t have the look. I was a weird looking dude with an afro, like fair enough!”
While no doubt a heartbreaking confession— which certainly comes as a shock to fans of the singer— the “Battle Scars” singer said he’s learned to ignore the haters, encouraging Diana to do the same.
“I think some people will use that rejection as fuel but I think with you… I don’t think you should do that,” says Guy, who’s lost a considerable amount of weight since winning Australian Idol. “I think you should forget it and bury it because I think when you use that fuel, it kind of brings out this block and this wall and this fire that is hard to get through. Forget it!”
Following the Aussie’s startling admission, four-time Grammy winner Kelly Rowland— who’s performed alongside the likes of Beyonce, Akon, Pitbull and Jay Sean— weighed in on the discussion, admitting she also struggled with self-esteem issues following years of people doubting her and criticised her for the way she looks.
“By the way, I had a label that said I was no longer viable as an artist after some crazy business took place and afterwards I had a number one record in 23 countries,” the former Destiny’s Child star said.
Guy has long been vocal about his struggles with body image, admitting a few years back that he and his wife Jules Sebastian enlisted the help of a personal trainer and completely transformed their diet— cutting out carbs and sugar— in the hope of shedding a few kilos. After jumping on the ketogenic (also known as keto) bandwagon, he showed off his impressive weight loss and body transformation on the cover of Men’s Health magazine.
“I was drinking too much. I wasn’t eating well. And everything I thought I was doing right wasn’t working,” the Sydney sider said of his diet before his health kick. “Early on, Jules and I went through one week where we were disgustingly hungry and whining about it, but that passes. I don’t obsess about food anymore.”
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