Reflecting on the fallout after leaving Neighbours, Imbruglia revealed the harsh reality of running out of money after moving to England. “I was, for a few years, very famous from Neighbours and… just getting wads of cash in envelopes,” she recalled. “The money ran out. And it was my dad once [who] rang and said, ‘Can I just ask, when are you going to get a job?’ I was living in a basement at someone’s house in Chelsea… and [had] a lot of conversations with God about if I ever get lucky again.”
That stroke of luck arrived with her 1997 chart-topping global smash “Torn.” However, the massive success triggered severe anxiety behind the scenes. “It was a lot of pressure. So then it was agoraphobia,” Imbruglia admitted. “I was terrified to go out.”
The 51-year-old artist also used the interview to address public misconceptions surrounding her personal life and single status throughout her thirties, clarifying that her path was not an intentional lifestyle choice. “I didn’t choose some feminist path of not being with a man,” Imbruglia stated. “I couldn’t get arrested, I couldn’t find a boyfriend. I tried really hard for a long time. And then, as a woman, you run out of time.”
Her determination eventually led to a five-year IVF journey to conceive her son. “I think it was at least a 5-year journey, many, many attempts,” she shared, adding that despite the initial fear of going public, motherhood brought ultimate fulfillment: “The joy far outweighs the extra stress.”
Imbruglia also discussed her new album Algorithm, written about her ongoing battle with late-night phone addiction: “It sounds like it’s about a sexy guy, and it’s my phone… I wanted to open the conversation about mental health.”
