Olly Alexander says a 15-minute surgical procedure transformed his life.
Olly Alexander
The Years & Years star used his first record advance to pay to have his left ear pinned, and Olly has admitted that the change made him a much more self-confident person.
The 27-year-old star shared: "I was almost embarrassed by how overwhelmingly confident I was afterwards. I thought, 'God, is it really that simple?'"
However, Olly subsequently also experienced some feelings of shame.
He told ShortList magazine: "I had this weird moment ...did I not love myself enough to just keep the face I was given?"
Olly has become a popular figure on social media over recent years.
But the 'Sanctify' hitmaker thinks his fans would be surprised to see the difference between his confident online persona and his real-life self.
Asked whether his popularity on social media serves to pave over his insecurities, he confessed: "That all felt terrifying, to be honest. It felt entirely possible that my real self would be a huge disappointment to all these people who were putting me on a pedestal. And if I met anyone who knew me online ... it would be so horrifying. They think you're one thing but you feel so far away from that. And then I would have these thoughts about people making judgements on me or my personal life, who my ex-boyfriends were. I had a negative reaction to it."
During his younger years, Olly was "scared" of people thinking he was gay.
But over time, the chart-topping star has grown to embrace who he is.
He said: "I get a real thrill for being 'overtly queer' in my aesthetic. I used to be scared of people thinking I was gay but now I'd be shocked if they didn't.
"I'd hesitate to say I had a more developed sense of self, though, because how I look doesn't take into account my mind, or how I develop internally."
Tagged in Years & Years