Ellie Goulding is reminiscing about one of the most physically challenging moments in her illustrious career, and she's not pulling any punches. In a candid new cover interview with NYLON for its January issue, the 39-year-old singer revealed that she once took the Coachella stage while battling severe food poisoning. Despite the adverse conditions, she gritted her teeth and performed.
Ellie Goulding candidly admits that she was "shitting my pants" at Coachella due to food poisoning. Speaking to NYLON, she recounted having a difficult time just before her Coachella set. "Coachella one year, I had food poisoning. I was shitting my pants, and I still went," she told the outlet. The musician recalled wearing leather shorts with zippers running up the front and back, which she immediately regretted given her situation. "I thought, 'These are the worst thing for my situation right now,'" she added.
Goulding traced the illness back to a demanding tour run in South America, where she was alongside Lorde. A shared meal before the festival reportedly triggered the episode. She said, "I remember having dinner with Ella, and I had some kind of wrap and it all went wrong."
The singer also reflected on how abruptly her life changed early in her career and how unprepared her body was for it. She went from obscurity to major global moments almost overnight. "I went from never taking a flight, never being photographed, to singing at the royal wedding," she explained. "I don't think my body knew how to process the contrast between my old life and my new life."
Back then, Goulding said, the industry offered little protection for artists under relentless schedules. "I never stopped," she admitted, noting frequent illnesses like tonsillitis and a voice that gave out. She even recalled being warned she might never perform again after turning down an awards show for health reasons.
While Goulding acknowledged that support systems for artists have improved, she didn't forget how harsh things once were. "There were things like that: 'If you don't do this, you will get repercussions,'" she said. Now, as the singer gears up for her next musical era, teed up with her November single "Destiny," Goulding says she's finally learned how to listen to her body.
