Louie Spence opens up on anxiety, fame and family loss in Paul C Brunson’s podcast, We Need To Talk

Louie Spence has shared one of the most candid and emotionally revealing interviews of his career in the latest episode of We Need To Talk, the podcast hosted by relationship expert Paul C Brunson.

In the episode, now available on Spotify and YouTube, the English dancer, choreographer and television presenter reflects on a life shaped by early independence, anxiety and the pressures that came with success - revealing deeply personal experiences he says he has never spoken about publicly before.

Spence looks back on growing up in a working-class household where love was deeply felt but rarely shown. While his parents worked tirelessly to support him and his three sisters, physical affection was absent - something he says continues to influence his relationships today.

“We were loved, but we were never shown love… We were never cuddled. There was no affection,” Spence explains.

The conversation also explores how anxiety took hold at a young age and followed him throughout his career, including during periods of global fame. Spence describes living with panic attacks for most of his life and how success failed to provide the sense of security many assume it brings.

A significant moment in the episode sees Spence reflect on touring the world as a backing dancer for the Spice Girls at the height of their fame. He describes the experience as career-defining, praising the group for their leadership, work ethic and generosity towards their dancers.

“They were the bosses - those five girls were in control of that tour,” he recalls. “They worked incredibly hard and treated us so well.”

Spence recounts life on the road, from five-star hotels to encounters with music legends including Madonna, Prince and Michael Jackson, and forming a lasting friendship with Emma Bunton. However, despite the glamour, he reveals that anxiety often prevented him from fully enjoying the experience.

“I got to see the world in style,” he says. “But I didn’t see anything - because my anxiety stopped me.”

He admits that fear frequently confined him to hotel rooms, leaving him with lingering regret about opportunities he felt unable to embrace, despite performing on some of the world’s biggest stages.

The episode also delves into Spence’s family history of addiction and the loss of his mother to alcoholism. In one of the interview’s most powerful moments, he recounts the circumstances surrounding her death - an experience he says he avoided discussing publicly for years.

“When people die of an addiction, it’s really hard,” Spence says. “You’re battling not to feel like they chose it over you.”

Now in a period of reflection, Spence speaks about slowing down, learning to sit with difficult emotions and continuing to move forward - even when the battles are internal. He describes the most important conversations of his life as those he has had with himself.