Billie Eilish has opened up about managing her vocal tics, revealing she actively suppresses them during interviews before “letting them all out” as soon as the cameras stop.
The Bad Guy hitmaker, 24, has Tourette’s syndrome, a neurological condition that causes involuntary movements and sounds known as tics.
Speaking on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast about managing the symptom, she explained: “I have vocal ticks, but luckily for me — and for everyone else — they’re mostly just quiet noises, and I can keep them pretty quiet.
“I go through phases of words becoming tics, but you know, there’s a thing called suppressing, if you ever heard of it. And you know when I’m in an interview, I’m doing everything in my power to suppress all of my tics, constantly.”
She added that the moment the interview ends, the effort catches up with her.
Billie said: “As soon as I leave the room, I have to let them all out.”
The Grammy winner then spoke about what it’s like experiencing tics in public, especially when they become more frequent.
She said: “If I start having like, a tick attack, like a lot of tics in a row, people are like, ‘Are you okay?’”
Billie said many people don’t realise how often she’s masking them.
She went on: “This is very much normal, like, you know, and also, like, ‘Well, I didn’t notice.’ It’s like if you didn’t see me tick today, you’re not looking at my knees which are ticking constantly under the table — and my elbows. I’m clenching my arms the entire time.
“I’m doing this for the entire time and it’s because I’m currently on camera and I’m having a conversation and I’m trying not to be distracting.”
Billie had media training for interviews as a teenager and admitted it was difficult not to overshare.
She said: “I did PR training when I was 14 and I sobbed through it. I hated it so much. It was literally like the scariest s*** of all time.
“I only did one session and it was under an hour, and I sobbed and I left, and I did not follow any of the rules after that.”