Pop Scars cover art

Pop Scars

A memoir on fame, addiction and the dark side of 90s pop

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Pop Scars

By: Anthony Kavanagh
Narrated by: Anthony Kavanagh
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About this listen

The shocking, tell-all memoir from '90s popstar and heart-throb formerly known as Kavana

Born in Manchester in 1977, Anthony Kavanagh's rise to fame was stratospheric, scoring a record deal at the age of just eighteen and winning the much-coveted Smash Hits Male Artist of the Year Award in 1997, all the while achieving top ten hits, appearing on countless magazine covers, performing on Top of the Pops and gigging alongside the Spice Girls. The stuff that dreams are made of.

But Anthony - or Kavana as he came to be known - was also trying to keep his sexuality a secret while navigating his way through an industry where image was everything; where his success depended on him having to be exactly who he wasn't.

What followed was a dark and dangerous spiral into addiction, an illness that would insidiously follow and baffle him for years to come. Pop Scars is a story told with fearless honesty that's at times as funny as it is heartbreaking, chronicling the highs, the lows, the self-destruction and the chaos of hitting rock bottom and then finding out that rock bottom has a basement.

Thirty years on, Anthony is ready to tell his jaw-dropping story. Pop Scars is a book about teenage stardom, fame, addiction, grief and - ultimately - survival and sobriety.

©2025 Anthony Kavanagh (P)2025 Bonnier Books UK
Entertainment & Celebrities Mental Health Music Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Memoir Funny Heartfelt

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loved it . a true honest account of a teenage popstar the highs and lows and how it affected him .well read .nostalgic

honest and raw

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I don't think I've ever reviewed a book before on Audible. I go through reads regularly and take the rough with the smooth. This book is a revelation.
So well written, it is funny, enlightening, heartbreaking and chocka with 90's references and call backs.
It will get you thinking but you'll find your heart breaking for Anthony, only a little - mind - he has no time for self-pity.
It is a triumph and I will be rooting for this clever and talented man from now on.
Buy it - you'll not be disappointed. Good luck, Anthony x

You will not be disappointed - buy it.

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Kavana’s pop scars , his life starting out in the road to stardom , is not just so brilliantly entertaining by his reading and delivery of his book , but intensely emotional,inspiring and heartbreaking.
I absolutely loved this audiobook , and as a ex partner of an alcoholic who took her own life , this book gave me more insight to her own addiction and addictive traits and a deeper understanding of alcohol and drug addiction .
To the author Kav , I wish you on your every step into your continued sobriety , & .i wish you continued success with your brilliantly written book and whatever you do next in life.

Confessions of a pop star

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Very raw, open and honest. Kavanagh reading it himself makes it even more hard hitting.

An honest and humbling memoir

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The narration of this book is excellent. The author is very charismatic, witty and a great storyteller. Here's where the problems lie. This patchwork story needed an editor to tighten up the rambling stories, put them in some semblance of order and tie up the (many) loose-ends. Anthony has great recall, but too many interesting stories are hinted at and then quickly dropped in favour of rambling non-stories. The book reads like listening to a drunk tell a bunch of rambling stories with no focus, which is frustrating. I legit had to listen to it twice to check if I'd missed out a chapter. Anthony's clearly not ready to address, in detail, relationships and events hinted at in the book, which makes for a frustrating read with no real resolve.

So Much Wasted Potential

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I felt every emotion possible reading this. Shock, sadness, anger turned into hope and happiness.
So proud of Anthony for sharing his story, it’s been a long time coming and the way this was written and recorded is a true reflection of his amazing talent. A must read for anyone familiar with the 90s pop world or someone wanting to find the light to recovery.

A true recovery story from the heart

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I bought this audiobook thinking I’d listen for an hour each day, but couldn’t switch it off and finished it over one weekend! The writer handles issues like LGBT-acceptance, alcohol-use and grooming in a way that is intelligent, witty and really heartwarming. Well done, love this book!

Gripping, witty and couldn’t put this down!

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This book is a must read, a vulnerable behind-the-scenes tale of sadness, addiction, and exploitation whilst navigating the perks and pitfalls of fame.
The mix of humour, wit and northern charm make this a heavy but delightful read.

A shockingly honest, raw, emotional insight into the pitfalls of fame and fighting addiction

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Wonderfully read, I felt like I was going through it with him, what a lovely lovely man and such an inspiration, I wish him all the happiness in the world, time now for him to find the Joy in life

very heartfelt

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As someone who is 6 years sober much of this book was almost like a mirror, I have so much respect for him

Brilliant

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