The Untold Truth Of White Lotus' Aimee Lou Wood

The following article includes mentions of addiction, eating disorders, and mental health.

When "Sex Education" premiered in 2019, fans were introduced to Aimee Lou Wood, the actor behind the bubbly and lovable Aimee Gibbs. Unsurprisingly, it did not take long for Wood to become a fan favorite, with her character winning over the show's audience. Despite sharing the same first name, however, Wood insists that she and Gibbs couldn't have been any more different. "For the longest time, everyone thought I was Aimee Gibbs. But Aimee was, in many ways, the most far away from me," she revealed in an interview with Elle.

After continuing to expand her acting portfolio, in 2025, Wood appeared in the highly anticipated third season of HBO's "The White Lotus," following the star-studded cast of Season 2. On the show, Wood plays Chelsea, the free-spirited girlfriend of Walton Goggins' grumpy "White Lotus" character, Rick. Unlike "Sex Education," Wood sees more similarities between herself and her "White Lotus" character, explaining to Elle that "Chelsea might be the one I feel most claustrophobic with."

Despite her meteoric rise to stardom, however, Wood remains in awe of how far she has come in her career. "It's been so much bigger and more abundant and overwhelming than I ever thought," she admitted. But beyond her on-screen roles, there's much more to Aimee Lou Wood than is obvious. Here's the untold truth of Hollywood's latest rising star.

Since stepping into the limelight, Aimee Lou Wood has been open about her difficult childhood and the lasting impact it had on her. Born in 1995, Wood grew up watching her father struggle with addiction, often causing him to abandon his family at intervals. "He would go out for a pint and not come back for days," she recalled in an interview with Stylist. "He once went out and didn't come back for 10 weeks because he'd been to the World Cup in Korea."

With her dad's frequent absence, Wood's mother took on the burden of raising the couple's kids, working tirelessly to keep the family together. "Because of him, my mum had to carry a lot on her shoulders. She tried to protect us, and took responsibility for it, in a way," Wood explained. Expectedly, this took a toll on the couple's marriage, eventually resulting in their divorce.

But despite the turbulence she experienced while growing up, Wood is choosing to let go of hardships, instead holding on tight to the good moments. For instance, while she was sent to live with her grandparents during her parents' ugly divorce, Wood remembers the experience fondly, describing it to The Guardian as "the best time." And even with her father's struggles, Wood admitted there were moments with him that felt "kind of beautiful in what was quite an extreme situation."

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

After her high school education and a six-month stint at the Oxford School of Drama, Aimee Lou Wood proceeded to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, where she bagged a Bachelor of Arts in acting. While at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, Wood kicked off her career as a stage actor, appearing in a number of notable productions, including "Scuttlers" and "Vinegar Tom."

It was, however, not until 2016 that Wood made her professional debut on stage, appearing as a handmaiden in the renowned U.K. production, "Mary Stuart." The following year, she played the role of Laura in "People, Place and Things." Wood also starred in Bruce Norris' 2018 play "Downstate," a script she once described as "brave" to The Standard.

In 2020, Wood performed in "Uncle Vanya," taking on the role of Sonya, one of the play's lead characters. But compared to her past experience in theatre, "Uncle Vanya" challenged Wood in a different way. "Theatre is my default but I did notice when I did Sex Education and came back, I got a little bit of stage fright," she told The Guardian of her initial struggle with the production. But while she's enjoying a budding career in film and television, Wood's passion for acting on stage remains unwavering. "You go back to the same story. You can say the same line 70 times, and then, one night, it means something completely different," she explained to The Guardian of her love for the uniqueness of theatre.

Throughout the course of her career, Aimee Lou Wood has been open about her issues with self-image and body acceptance. At the 2023 Harper's Bazaar International Women's Day event, Wood candidly spoke about hating how she looked and struggling to live comfortably in her skin for many years. "I have for lots of my left felt like a floating head that's just like a brain that's got all these ideas and all these things but doesn't really know how to connect my brain to my body because my body, I just kind of hated," she shared at the event.

In a separate interview with The Guardian, the "Sex Education" star revealed that her insecurities were, in part, fueled by the bullying she experienced while growing up directed at her looks. For Wood, this resulted in deep-rooted self-doubt about her future as an actor. "Anyone who's been bullied knows what it's like to hear these things, to internalize it and turn it in on yourself and go: 'If I was just less ugly, just less this, just more this,'" she added.

Wood eventually developed eating disorders — which is sadly prevalent with many stars in Hollywood — that only amplified her struggles even more. Speaking on the experience, the "Sex Education" star admitted feeling alienated from her body while struggling with bulimia and anorexia. "I was so detached from my body when I was in the eating disorders, it was like I was outside it, scrutinizing it. I am very gradually getting over that," she explained to The Guardian. Despite her past struggles, however, Wood continues to work toward self-acceptance, while using her newly found success to encourage people to embrace body positivity.

If you need help with an eating disorder, or know someone who does, help is available. Visit the National Eating Disorders Association website or contact NEDA's Live Helpline at 1-800-931-2237. You can also receive 24/7 Crisis Support via text (send NEDA to 741-741).

For most of her life, Aimee Lou Wood has dealt with mental health struggles, among the many celebs who have been open about living with mental health conditions. Growing up, young Wood constantly put the needs of others before her needs, causing her to develop harmful people-pleasing tendencies. For many years, the "White Lotus" star unknowingly neglected her own emotions and feelings. "I used to find it so hard when people would ask, 'How are you?' because I genuinely wouldn't know. I was so out of touch and out of practice with checking in on myself," she shared with Stylist. Eventually, after getting called out by a close friend, Wood was able to identify her unhealthy patterns and how it was affecting her relationships. "It was a hard thing to hear, but it was true — I spread myself so thin," she admitted.

Alongside the emotional dissociation, Wood has also had anxiety. Sadly, stardom has only made it worse. "I think fame does exacerbate that because you walk down the street and you're reminded that people know you," she explained to Digital Spy in 2020.

However, Wood has come to accept her mental health journey and healing process with compassion and honesty. Most importantly, the actor hopes to destigmatize conversations around mental health. In an interview with Elle, the actor admitted to having multiple mental illnesses, noting that "there's nothing wrong with being mentally ill."

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

Aimee Lou Wood's distinctive teeth are hard to miss, and she embraces them wholeheartedly, even believing they help her stand out. During a February 2025 appearance on On Demand Entertainment, Wood joked about her dentition making it easy for people to tell where she is from. "It's the teeth. Like, no Americans have my teeth. They just don't," she quipped, adding that she'd probably need veneers to blend in.

The "Sex Education" star also shared a memorable moment from a past stage play production, where despite her impeccable accent, someone from the audience could tell she wasn't American, just by looking at her. "He was talking to me and I spoke like this, and he went, 'I knew it. I knew it.' He said, 'Your accent was great, but you just don't look American,'" she recalled during the interview about speaking in her natural Manchester accent.

Wood's distinctive teeth also got a special unscripted shoutout in "The White Lotus." In Season 3 Episode 1, Charlotte Le Bon's character Chloe tells Chelsea, "I love your teeth," a compliment we now know was unplanned. In an interview with The Face, Wood opened up about the genesis of the scene, revealing that the line was, in fact, not originally a part of the script. "I didn't know she was gonna say that. Which does happen to me a lot in life. And she said to Mike [White]: ​'Can we have that?' And Mike said: ​'Yeah, yeah, that's fine, I love that.'"

While filming "Sex Education," Aimee Lou Wood formed a bond with Connor Swindells, who plays Adam Groff, her character's love interest in the show's first season. Swindells would later confirm the romance in a February 2019 interview, revealing that it started only toward the end of their filming. Despite the romantic relationship, however, the couple remained professional on set, even on occasions where their characters had intimate love scenes together. "There is no confusion to be had between our sex scenes on the show and our own personal life," Swindells told The Telegraph at the time.

Altogether, Wood and Swindells dated for two years, between 2018 and 2020. While the exact timing of their split remains unclear, Wood confirmed their breakup in a September 2022 interview with Grazia, hinting that they had both fallen into unhealthy patterns in the relationship. Wood also explained that she and Swindells parted ways amicably and still had a lot of love for each other. "We'd had some time apart because of work, and then we realized that maybe the relationship wasn't serving us both. We still really love and respect each other," she added.

While breakups are never easy, the split from Swindells has helped the "White Lotus" star realize how much she values her freedom and alone time. "I find it hard when I'm in relationships to maintain my sense of who I am. I'm very independent, but I'm also quite impressionable," Wood explained.

Since breaking into the spotlight, Aimee Lou Wood has spoken about the profound impact of friendships on her life. While appearing at the Harper's Bazaar's 2023 International Women's Day event, Wood reflected on the assurance and security she gets from her friends, noting that life is easier with them. "Like, I don't think I ever have a moment of self-consciousness when I'm with my friends," she shared. Wood also credited her friends for their unwavering support and for constantly uplifting her through life's many hurdles.

Unsurprisingly, the 'White Lotus" actor believes and encourages that platonic love should be just as prioritized and championed as much as romantic love. "You can have just as much closeness with your friends," she asserted. During a conversation with BBC Woman's Hour, Wood described her friendships as "the most expansive," explaining that they have helped her develop the highest form of self-confidence. "When I am with my friends, I just feel totally beyond, like anything's possible," she gushed.

It is, therefore, no surprise that Wood has formed deep bonds with many of her industry colleagues. This includes Emma Mackey, her "Sex Education" co-star who once told PA news agency (via The Standard) that they are "very, very close friends."

While filming "White Lotus" Season 3 in Thailand, Aimee Lou Wood developed an unexpected obsession with coconuts. But while coconuts are largely cheap, being a guest at the Four Seasons hotel meant Wood ended up spending a lot of money. "I got addicted to the fresh coconuts, and it turns out that they're very, very, very, very inexpensive on the beach, but I was obviously ordering them at the Four Seasons, and because they had the Four Seasons stamp on them, they cost [a lot of money]," she explained to People at the premiere of the show in Los Angeles.

Thailand's addictive coconuts were, however, not the only memorable part of filming the HBO comedy-drama. Admittedly, getting cast on "White Lotus" turned out to be life-changing for Wood. "I am not the same person as I was pre-'White Lotus,'" she shared in an interview with Elle. "I had a lot of reckonings out there. I realized how important my anchors are in life."

Particularly, Wood developed a close bond with her co-stars and even more so with her character, Chelsea. "I felt so honored to play Chelsea because it felt like she was that part of Mike [White, 'White Lotus' creator] that is the optimist, that does have hope, and that leads with her heart," Wood explained to Elle. "Mike is such an empath, and he feels so deeply, so it felt like a privilege to play that facet of him. She's an actor's dream because she is just all feeling."

When it comes to fashion, Aimee Lou Wood likes to keep it simple — and retro. In her interview with Stylist, Wood opened up about her love for retro fashion, specifically trends from the '60s and '80s. Interestingly, Wood's preference for vintage style made her "Sex Education" character even more alluring to the young actor. "Obviously I was delighted with Aimee's wardrobe in 'Sex Education' because that's very '60s," she admitted.

Despite her love for vintage aesthetics though, Wood keeps her everyday wardrobe "practical" and functional. "A perfect day off outfit is a jumpsuit or a pair of dungarees because it's no effort," she told Stylist. As for her preferred clothing staple, the RADA alum has a basic, yet timeless choice. "The ultimate. A classic. Can't go wrong. Jeans and a nice top: they're famous for a reason," she shared with Levi's.

Naturally, over the years, Wood's sense of style has evolved. In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, the actor explained that she had a more adventurous style as a teenager, but eventually refined her taste as she got older and more famous. "Now, because I spend all this time doing photoshoots and getting to wear so many different amazing things, I feel like I have learned what I like," she gushed.

For some actors, getting an Oscar is the ultimate dream. For Aimee Lou Wood, however, it's a lot simpler than that. All she wants is to be a judge on "RuPaul's Drag Race." "I'm an Aquarius, I don't set goals in my life. I just go with it. But the only two things I've ever said I wanted were to be a guest judge on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and play Sally Bowles in 'Cabaret,'" she shared in an interview with The Guardian.

As it turns out, Wood is already getting closer to making her dream a reality. In February 2025, Wood revealed that she had previously been offered a guest judge spot on "RuPaul's Drag Race," but turned it down due to scheduling conflicts. "I got offered to do U.K. 'Drag Race,' and I missed it because I was rehearsing for 'Cabaret,' so I need to get my opportunity again. I have to get it again," she told Pink News. In the interview, the "Sex Education" star revealed that starring in "White Lotus" was also on her wish list.

With her role as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret" — in the West End's revival in 2023 — and appearance on "White Lotus" now checked off the list, there's little doubt that Wood will soon get a second shot at her "Drag Race" debut. And who knows? Maybe once she accomplishes that, an Oscar will be next on the list!