Pussycat Doll Carmit Bachar says she ‘felt like a monster’ growing up with a cleft palate

Carmit Bachar has revealed she ‘lost count of the amount of operations’ she had as a child due to being born with a cleft lip and cleft palate – a gap or split in the upper lip and roof of the mouth.

The Pussycat Doll star, 48, who faced years of bullying, said she thought she ‘looked ugly and crazy like a monster’ when she was younger. 

The pop singer emotionally broke down in tears on Wednesday’s episode of This Morning as she opened up about her ‘insecurity’ and how ‘terrified’ she was to have children. 

Wow: Carmit Bachar revealed she ‘lost count of the amount of operations’ she had due to being born with a defect of a cleft lip and cleft palate as she appeared on Wednesday’s This Morning (pictured right in her childhood) 

She explained: ‘Most people don’t know I was born with a birth defect, it’s actually the third most common birth defect cleft lip and cleft palette. 

‘Growing up I had numerous surgeries, I spent a lot of time in hospital and a lot of time being ridiculed as a child. 

‘Being born with a cleft lip and cleft palette definitely leaves you insecure. One of my biggest fears was when I had my daughter. 

‘I was terrified she was going to be born with the same thing. I didn’t want her to go through what I went through, it’s the last thing I’d want her to experience.’

‘Definitely leaves you insecure’: The pop singer emotionally broke down in tears as she opened up about her ‘insecurity’ and how ‘terrified’ she was to have children

Carmit welcomed daughter Keala Rose with her husband Kevin Whitaker in 2011. 

Holding back tears while reflecting on her childhood, Carmit revealed how she always hoped to come out of surgery looking ‘perfect which was never the case’. 

She went through several grueling annual surgeries from the age of just six months until she was 16.  

Childhood: She went through several grueling annual surgeries from the age of just six months until she was 16, and always hoped to come out of surgery looking ‘perfect which was never the case’

She continued: ‘It’s hard, I’d go into hospital and think I’d come out and be perfect which was never the case.

‘I thought I looked weird or ugly from a certain angle, definitely not beautiful. When your young you feel like you looked crazy, I looked like a monster.

‘Until I saw her (daughter’s) face I was very scared, I couldn’t even speak. I am embarrassed to say that’s what I think and feel. 

She said: One of my biggest fears was when I had my daughter. I was terrified she was going to be born with the same thing’ (pictured with daughter Keala Rose and husband Kevin Whitaker)

‘I have so many fans with cleft that tell me I’m a role model and thank me for inspiring others.

‘Someone said don’t insult the little girl who is a superhero and that landed for me, I’m never going to let anyone take my insecurities from my weakness anymore.’ 

One in every 700 babies in the UK is born with a cleft. The type and severity varies widely. Some are born with either a cleft lip or a cleft palate, but around half of those affected have both.

Opening up: She added: ‘I thought I looked weird or ugly from a certain angle, definitely not beautiful. When your young you feel like you looked crazy, I looked like a monster’ 

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It was Carmit’s love of performing that helped her become resilient. By the age of 10, she was having lessons in dance, piano and drama, and she also took up rhythmic gymnastics. Eventually she was selected for the US national team.

But despite countless operations, her face remained marked throughout adolescence – and she was even told by one talent agent not to get her hopes up about a career on stage because of her appearance.

After a major operation at the age of eight, which took a piece of bone from her thigh to build the hard palate in the top of her mouth, Carmit had to have more surgery to correct the appearance of her scar.

‘I’m a role model’: Carmit inspires others who are born with cleft lip and cleft palette after she went on to have a successful career with the Pussycat Dolls (pictured Carmit, Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta)

Carmit also developed an underbite, a common complication of cleft lip and palate as jaw growth can be disturbed by the recurrent surgery. Her underbite worsened from the age of 12 until it reached the point where she didn’t recognise herself, and at 16 she underwent major surgery to correct that too.

The repeated operations meant that she had to learn how to use her voice again.

Carmit’s final operation took place when she was 18, when bone was taken from her head to build a bridge in her nose.

Thankfully, treatments have improved dramatically since then. Nigel Mercer, consultant cleft surgeon at the South West regional cleft unit in Bristol, says: ‘The UK leads the world in cleft care, and while 30 years ago children would have 17 or 18 operations, we avoid that now.’

Carmit went on to have a successful career with the Pussycat Dolls alongside bandmates Ashley Roberts, Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberly Wyatt and Jessica Sutta.