Billie Piper Says Childhood Friend Amy Winehouse Was Bullied at School: 'It Wasn't the Easiest Ride'

Mar. 15, 2025

Billie Piper attends the world premiere of ‘Scoop’ at The Curzon Mayfair on March 27, 2024 in London; Amy Winehouse arrives at the ELLE Style Awards at the Roundhouse Theatre on Feb. 12, 2007 in London.Photo:Karwai Tang/WireImage; Dave Hogan/Getty

Karwai Tang/WireImage; Dave Hogan/Getty

Billie Piperis opening up about her friendship withAmy Winehouse.

On the Tuesday, April 2 episode ofJessie Ware’s podcastTable Manners, the actress/singer, 41, opened up about how the late R&B/soul singer was “bullied” at school growing up.

Throughout Piper’s conversation with the “Selfish Love” performer, 39, and her mother Lennie, she recalls relocating to London at 12 years old to attend the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where one of her friends was Winehouse.

Billie Piper at an afterparty in London in March 2024.Dave Benett/Getty Images for Warner Music & Ciroc Vodka

Dave Benett/Getty Images for Warner Music & Ciroc Vodka

“She was always cheeky,” theI Hate Suziestar recalled. “She was always like that, you know. She would do abstract stuff, and I really loved it.”

Piper added: “She could do everything. Super clever, super bright, unlike any other girl at that school.”

Lennie asked if the “Rehab” performer could “act,” to which Piper replied: “Yeah, she could do everything. Super clever, super bright, [she was] unlike any other girl at that school.”

She then addressed the challenges that Winehouse faced in school and how she didn’t have “the easiest ride.”

“She got bullied quite a lot at school because she was doing her own thing, and she liked to push buttons, and do weird stuff," Piper said.She added: “And I had a lot of space for that, but not many of the girls did. It wasn’t the easiest ride.”

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Amy Winehouse at Hyde Park in London in June 2008.Dan Kitwood/Getty

Dan Kitwood/Getty

In addition to Abela, the film will star Eddie Marsan, Bronson Webb, Ansu Kabia and Harley Bird.

source: people.com