Tom Grennan suffers from anxiety every day: 'There's so much pressure on everyone'

There is no denying that Tom Grennan is a life breaker. After landing his second number one album, making his Glastonbury debut and appearing on Channel 4's 'Gogglebox' - all in a month - the 28-year-old is now training for a triathlon. Meeting POPSUGAR with wet hair after swimming, he focuses on a healthy lifestyle and admits he no longer recognizes the person he was three years ago.

"I'm very different now than I was when I was 18. Even just compared to what I was before Covid," he told POPSUGAR. "I think back to photos of me three years ago and I don't even recognize the person I was anymore. I had just finished my second album, but it hadn't dropped yet. I was unhappy, sad and kinda lost... doing stupid things. I was really easily led and so I changed and I try to be a leader. My mom always told me to be me and not change to someone else. Don't be a sheep, be a shepherd."

It was his authenticity that first caught the Bedford lad in 2016 as a guest vocalist on Chase & Status' "All Goes Wrong," before exploding with his hit "Little Bit of Love in 2021. Now on her third album, "What Ifs & Maybes" topped the charts just before hitting the road for Worthy Farm. "Glastonbury was a turning point. I think a lot of people may have heard of me but had never seen me before and thought 'I'm going to go check it out'. They then came to me afterwards and said that was the best set of the weekend," he said. "I had a great time, it's a crazy place. I peed in the bush and got scolded by a woman who said I was messing up the farm."

"Don't be a sheep, be a shepherd."

In addition to its busy performance schedule and soundtrack of sporting events for the British Grand Prix and Ryder Cup in September, Grennan is also launching ice cream brand Magnum's summer campaign. The Magnum Pleasure Pass gives people the chance to win tickets to some of the biggest music and comedy events this summer, a response to sad research that 69% of Britons are cutting back on in-person experiences. And Grennan is the perfect partner. Although he describes himself as "soft ice cream" and "one with sprinkles and red sauce" for added flavor, he was once an avid Reading Festival fan and dubstep gig goer before he started -even headlining festivals.

“They have always been a source of escape for me,” he says. "I want people to have the same thing, the chance to go there without worrying about paying their bills. These experiences are a time to socialize, let go and have fun. Nothing matters but dancing , sing and vibrate with everyone."

There is a big difference for Grennan these days though, as he admits getting enough sleep is a priority. "If I have a lot of anxiety, I know I don't get enough sleep. I feel anxiety every day - I think especially with the world we live in, there's so much pressure on everyone. world,” he explains. "Exercise, therapy and sleep help me deal with it."