Then Came Fame (Leah Williamson)

Aria: Ups and Downs

The single broken heart she replied with told me I was right.

May 2023

This was it, the final day of the tour was just around the corner. The last few weeks were much of the same: shows, parties, sex, and sleep.

As with most big shows, we gave a press conference the day before. It wasn't a big deal, really, just a few journalists that would ask fan pleasing questions for the dedicated people who watched my every move. Questions were pre-approved by the team, a way of making sure journalists couldn't blindside me with the latest tabloid stories and further their agenda to have me cancelled.

To the outside world, I was the picture of confidence when I entered these rooms. I gave off the impression that I wasn't unfazed by the way the journalists surged to the barrier to get the best shot of me. The truth was, I hated it. Every click of a camera filled my ears like tinnitus, that very sound replaying in the nightmares I had. I guess that's why I lived my life in defensive mode, I was always ready for someone to attack me, always ready to defend my own honour, even when it wasn't at stake.

They rose to their feet in perfect succession, each one sticking to the script of questions, and furiously typing my responses into their phones without even making eye contact with me. I was the puppet on display to the world. Most of the time, these conferences were like clockwork for me. I usually zoned out halfway through, turning into a robot that could answer questions without really thinking about it. But then, a question made my ears prick up.

"Aria, I'm not sure if you're an avid listener of Capital FM, but Leah Williamson appeared on there yesterday. Did you catch that interview?"

I froze, not sure whether this was leading to a question about us sharing the dressing room or something more sinister... had she said something that they were about to twist?

"I didn't catch it."

Beneath the desk, I was picking at my fingernails. My face felt like it was on fire and I could only hope it wasn't visible to the hundreds of cameras pointed directly at me.

"She had tickets to watch your gig tomorrow, but obviously with the ACL, she's not able to come. She joked that it was the most devastating miss of them all. You spoke quite deeply about her own battle with fame, how do you feel about that given that she has suffered this devastating injury?"

Heather was frantically looking from right to left, making it obviously this journalist hadn't stuck to the pre-approved questions. She opened her mouth to dismiss the journalist, but if there was anything I could talk honestly about, it was how I felt about Leah's injury. I batted her off, smiling to reassure her that I had this.

"Firstly, I'm very sorry for Leah's loss, missing out on seeing me live is obviously devastating for her."

The room laughed along with my joke, most of them thinking I was finished with the question.

"But seriously, I send her my best wishes. I think everyone, football fan or not, can understand that when you are as passionate about something as she is about football, having the ability to do that snatched away from you is cruel. I hope, now more than ever, that this weird world we find ourselves part of will wrap their arms around her and show her the love and support she needs right now."