Ashley Roberts has revealed the extreme lengths she went to during the height of the Pussycat Dolls' success, which left doctors believing she had a brain aneurysm and necessitating an MRI scan.
Ashley's Gruelling Schedule
The 44-year-old singer admitted she pushed her body to the limit, causing her to burn out and seek medical attention. Doctors initially thought she was experiencing a brain aneurysm due to symptoms of vomiting and severe headaches from exhaustion.
Speaking on Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, Ashley recalled: "We did get quite burned out. We spent so many years on the road, and at that time, we were working for a well-oiled machine. Our best interests weren't at the forefront of their minds; it was how much money we could make. We were in three different countries in one day at one point."
Ignoring Warning Signs
Ashley refused to slow down, adding: "At the time I was like, 'I am just supposed to do this, you know, get it done, get it done no matter what,' but my body at one point was like, 'yeah, we are done.' They thought I was having a brain aneurysm, which is just insane. I was in London and I was really sick. I was vomiting and my head was ringing with pain, and I kept thinking, 'It's gonna go away, it's gonna go away.'"
The Heart Breakfast presenter went on to say that doctors demanded she stay overnight and undergo an urgent MRI. On the way to the scan, she also developed viral arthritis.
Long-Term Health Consequences
Even after the Pussycat Dolls split in 2010, Ashley's health continued to suffer. She experienced eczema and shingles as a result of the toll the schedule had taken on her body.
Earlier this year, the Dolls announced plans to reunite as a trio, with Ashley, Nicole Scherzinger, and Kimberly Wyatt embarking on the PCD Forever Tour in the autumn. Ashley admitted that rehearsals have been tough now that they are in their forties.
She said: "My back, my legs, my thighs, my neck, everything is just like 'woo.' Everyone's like, 'No, you're in shape, you got this,' but no, it's like running a marathon in heels."
Costume Changes
Ashley also revealed that the costumes will be far less revealing this time around. She laughed: "I didn't even like it back then, and I am like, 'Why did I just say yes to that?' I could have been like, 'Put a little fabric at the top.' I am not doing that style anymore, that's for sure. I didn't look cute then, and I don't look cute now in that."
