Content warning: this article contains references to childhood abuse and trauma that readers might find upsetting.

As well as being a beloved former England and Arsenal footballer and one of the most well-known faces on TV, Alex Scott has made headlines recently for speaking out on a variety of important topics.

Not only has she discussed the online abuse she endures and its impact on her mental health, but on the week of her book release, she has also opened up about her difficult childhood and experiences of domestic abuse.

How (Not) To Be Strong is Scott’s autobiography, which is described as “an inspirational memoir of finding strength and resilience”, but it’s also been an important opportunity for Scott to write about her own childhood abuse. In it, she describes hearing her father be violent towards her mother in their flat in east London. She writes: “All I could do was lie there and pray my mum would be alive in the morning.”

Alex Scott has spoken about the domestic abuse she says she experienced as a child, saying she won’t allow her father “to win”