SO SAD: Loose Women Star Breaks Her Silence On A Harrowing Ordeal She’s Carried For Years

GK Barry Reveals She Was Raped at 17 After Keeping Ordeal Secret for a Decade

GK Barry has revealed that she was raped by an older male co-worker when she was 17, explaining that fear prevented her from speaking publicly about the ordeal for almost a decade.

The Loose Women panellist, whose real name is Grace Keeling, shares the deeply personal experience in her new book, It’s Giving Life: A Guide To Surviving And Thriving.

Barry, now 27, stressed that the book is not an autobiography. Instead, it combines life advice with stories drawn from difficult moments she has experienced, including the sexual assault she says took place during her teenage years.

She decided to write about it after learning that almost a quarter of women have experienced rape or sexual assault since the age of 16. Barry said she hoped her disclosure could help other survivors understand that they were not responsible for what happened to them.

Speaking publicly about the chapter for the first time, Barry wrote on social media: “When I was 17 I was raped and I’ve spent the last 10 years not telling anyone out of fear.”

She admitted feeling extremely nervous about discussing the experience, having spent years attempting to suppress the memories and avoid thinking about what happened.

“I hope by speaking about it, it might help others to know they can too, and it wasn’t their fault,” she continued. “I also hope this can help other people not be in the same situation that I was in.”

Barry said she has since been speaking with Rape Crisis, the specialist charity supporting people affected by rape and sexual violence. She expressed regret that she had not known about the organisation at the time of the alleged attack.

“They offer 24/7 support and advice if anyone needs it,” she told her followers.

Only five people knew about the ordeal

In an interview with The Sun’s Fabulous magazine, Barry explained that she had told only five people before deciding to include the account in her book.

Those who knew included her mother, father and girlfriend, footballer Ella Rutherford.

“Until now, only five people knew about this,” she said. “I was never planning to write about it, but I realised it was really important.”

Barry acknowledged that many members of her audience are young and said helping even one person would make sharing such a painful experience worthwhile.

“My audience is young, and if sharing this helps even one of them, then it will be worth it,” she explained.

The television personality also expressed hope that young people who encounter dangerous or uncomfortable situations may feel able to speak out or seek help.

“Sadly, I know plenty of women have stories like this, and I want them to know it’s not their fault and that they didn’t do anything wrong,” she added.

Barry explains the purpose of her new book

Elsewhere in It’s Giving Life, Barry makes clear that readers should not expect a traditional celebrity memoir or a formal self-help manual.

“I should probably tell you what this book isn’t,” she writes. “It’s not an autobiography — I’m still too fresh out of the womb — or self-development guide.”

She also jokes that the book does not contain a “magic formula” capable of solving every unexpected difficulty life presents.

“None of my ‘advice’ — and I use the term in the loosest possible sense — should be taken as gospel. Or even at all,” she adds.

Instead, Barry describes the book as an honest collection of lessons from her life so far. While she uses her familiar humour throughout, the chapter about the alleged assault marks one of her most serious and vulnerable public disclosures.

She said she ultimately chose to share her personal trauma in the hope that her experiences could offer reassurance to others who have remained silent because of fear, shame or self-blame.