Sam Smith reveals they had liposuction aged 13 after years of school bullying
The singer recalled the procedure didn’t have the effect they hoped for, telling Badgley their peers mocked them for wearing a chest bandage
By Callum Wells
Sam Smith has revealed they had liposuction as a teenager after years of being bullied about at school.
Appearing on Penn Badgley’s Podcrushed podcast, the 33-year-old said that growing up in Hertfordshire, their body drew ridicule from their classmates, more so than their queerness.
“Weirdly my weight was the thing I probably got teased the most about,” they said, recalling how their time at a Catholic secondary school became increasingly difficult. “It wasn’t my queerness, which was something that I could handle – it was my weight that was the hardest thing.”
“I couldn’t go swimming in school, and getting changed in the locker room was hell” – Sam Smith on school bullies
Smith said that, by 13, the abuse had become so extreme that they underwent liposuction on their chest.
“I had surgery on my chest when I was 13 years old, because I had a growing chest,” they told Badgley. “There were all sorts of reasons why, but mainly, I was just getting so teased. I couldn’t go swimming in school, and getting changed in the locker room was hell. So I got liposuction when I was 13 years old.
“My parents were hugely supportive of the whole thing, because they just saw how much it was crippling everything about me.”
The singer added that the procedure didn’t have the effect they hoped for, telling Badgley their peers mocked them for wearing a bandage on their chest.
“The liposuction, it worked, but it was also a nightmare because they gave me a bandage,” they explained. “If I wore the bandage, it meant that I would get to the front of the lunch queue, so I just kept this bandage on for nearly a year, and I’d be like, ‘Oh, don’t come close to me,’ and then I’d just get first at lunch… so the surgery never really worked.”
“My mum says that, as I’ve got older, I’ve stopped caring what people think as much” – Smith on their evolving confidence
In 2023, Smith reflected on their body image in The Sunday Times, saying they had reached a point of self-acceptance following years of insecurity.
“Every time I went to the pool I felt self-conscious, but I forced myself to take my top off,” they said. “It paid off because I now have the opposite of body dysmorphia. I look fabulous. I’m finally getting a tan. I’m burnt in places I’ve never been burnt.”
They added that their perspective has changed with time. “My mum says that, as I’ve got older, I’ve stopped caring what people think as much. She tends to be right.”
What is liposuction?
Liposuction is a cosmetic procedure used to remove unwanted body fat. It’s carried out on areas of the body where deposits of fat tend to collect, such as the buttocks, hips, thighs, and stomach. The aim is to alter body shape rather than achieve weight loss.
It’s usually done under general anaesthetic, although smaller areas may be treated using local anaesthetic. The operation involves inserting a thin tube (cannula) attached to a suction device to remove fat through small cuts in the skin.
Recovery times vary depending on the area treated, but most people can return to work within a few days and resume normal activity within a few weeks. Bruising, swelling, and scarring are common side effects, and as with any surgery, there are risks such as infection or uneven results.
The procedure is not available on the NHS for cosmetic reasons and costs typically start from around £3,000 in the UK. Patients are advised to check their surgeon is registered with the General Medical Council and that the clinic is regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
Source: NHS – Liposuction