Billie Piper thinks Madonna is to blame for sexualising her "way too early".

Billie Piper

Billie Piper

The 37-year-old star grew up idolising the pop icon, but on reflection, Billie believes Madonna planted "sexual ideas" in her mind before she was ready to deal with them.

The actress told the Daily Mail newspaper's Sebastian Shakespeare column: "When I was a kid I was obsessed with Madonna.

"I think she planted sexual ideas in my head way too early. So much of what she portrays means you can't get away from her sexuality. Her choreography with a nice, catchy song was all so ingrained - I was devoted to her, so I saw everything."

Billie - who married TV presenter Chris Evans when she was just 18 - previously admitted she made a conscious effort to hide her figure because she felt "oversexualised".

The former 'Doctor Who' star - who shot to fame during her teenage years, when her debut single, 'Because We Want To', topped the UK charts - said: "I think that's why, for so long, my desire to hide my body in baggy clothes took hold.

"I like girl's clothes now because I feel in a better place, but the hangover from that time lasted a while."

Billie also argued that social media can be a toxic environment for women.

The actress said: "Under the guise of being all supportive and there for each other, women can be very judgy and competitive, especially on social media.

"The emotions are the same, it's just the semantics that have changed."

She later added: "I'm also not sure how much we have moved on anyway.

"A lot of social media is about women looking really oversexed. That doesn't feel like feminism to me.

"Like, this whole thing of 'I'm liberated enough to bare my a**e' doesn't remotely cut it with me."