Alex Scott reveals heartbreaking reason she struggled to show her love to Jess Glynne
Alex Scott has bravely opened up about the emotional challenges she's faced in her relationship with Jess Glynne, following years of what she claims was abuse from her father. The former footballer and pundit, 39, candidly shared that she continues to attend therapy sessions to work through the difficulties she experienced during her childhood, which she alleges were caused by her father's treatment of her and her mother Carol.
Tony, who has denied all accusations of domestic violence, left the family when Alex was just eight, leaving a lasting impact on her ability to show affection in her personal relationships, including with her family members. Despite keeping their romance under wraps for the first year, Alex and chart-topping singer Jess Glynne, 34, went public with their love at the Brit Awards in March.
Reflecting on the effects of her past, Alex revealed: "We weren't allowed to express emotion." She explained how her father's dislike of physical displays of affection like hugging had a "huge impact" on her and her loved ones.
Alex recalled the initial discomfort she about hugging her partner at the beginning of their relationship. While the couple are able to laugh about it now, she shared that this 'awkwardness' still persists in interactions with her family, including with her mother and brother Ronnie, who are also still coming to terms with their past.
Alex opened up to The Times, saying: "I've worked through it all, but for them there's still that awkwardness. The love's absolutely there but it doesn't come naturally to them." She also shared that she isn't in touch with her father, who has denied the allegations of 'bullying and abusing' her during her childhood.
In a previous statement to Mail Online, Tony defended himself, saying: "I have no idea why she's saying all this stuff. I was raised in a strict but loving Jamaican family and Alex should know what they are like. I taught her discipline, I did a lot to help her. Perhaps she is judging me by today's standards, I don't know. Parents were a lot tougher back then. But I was never violent, that's just not me. I never beat Alex or anyone else in the family or did anything like that."
Alex's partner Jess previously opened up about their relationship Fearne Cotton's Happy Place podcast, saying: "The work that I've done on myself has actually settled me inside and it's allowed me to enter a relationship where I feel very comfortable and I'm just me.
"I'm unapologetically me. It has allowed me to be really happy in a new relationship. I think love is a really scary subject and it's normally something I keep quite distant. But it's a nice thing to be able to embrace someone and a relationship that feels really genuinely good."
