Immediately after watching the first James Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962, budding Swedish
actress Britt Ekland knew that she wanted to someday share the screen with the debonair
secret agent man. Mind you, this was long before the 'Bond Girl' was a time-honored tradition.
Ekland would go on to become famous for marrying Peter Sellers and headlining in a string of hit
films like The Wicker Man and Get Carter. Twelve years after watching the first 007
flick, Ekland's dream came true when she played Mary Goodnight opposite Roger Moore in The Man
With The Golden Gun. Moore may not have been Sean Connery, but Ekland wasn't complaining
The role transformed her into one of the era's most prominent sex symbols, and for a while,
her various relationships, affairs, and personal dramas littered the gossip rags.
In her heyday, Eckland starred in numerous films throughout the 60s and 70s, including
1967s The Double Man, 1969s Machine Gun McCain, 1974s The Ultimate Thrill,
1975s Royal Flash, 1976s High Velocity, and King Solomon's Treasure in 1979.
In the 80s, Eckland's career began to slow down. Although, she did appear in films like 1985s
Fraternity Vacation, 1987s Moon in Scorpio, and 1989s Scandal. Since then, her work has
mainly consisted of stage shows, cameos, guest spots, and reality television series.
It's kind of peculiar that someone that was once one of the most photographed people in the world
would eventually fall into relative obscurity. But according to Britt,
her career came crashing down after making a decision that she now wholeheartedly regrets.
Keep watching to find out what that bad choice was.
She Got Her Start In Chewing Gun Ads
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1942, Eckland's career began when she was a teen,
appearing in advertisements for chewing gum while doing the occasional modeling job.
Before landing her first gig in front of a camera, Eckland had struggled
with self-image issues. As a child, she was overweight, and she was convinced that she
was ugly. To make up for the fact that she wasn't as attractive as some of her peers,
Eckland tried to be funny. It was by doing this that she learned that she had a knack for acting.
She eventually dropped out of school to travel with a theater company.
She was discovered by a talent scout in Italy while she was enjoying an espresso
at a coffee shop. She was then sent off to London to audition for films.
The Tabloids LOVED Her
For a while, Ekland's fame as an actress was closely rivaled by all of the drama,
rumors, and strife that surrounded her romantic relationships.
But it was also through one of these relationships that Britt found success.
In January 1964, actor Peter Sellers saw a photograph of Eckland in a local newspaper
and immediately sent his valet to her room. Britt only knew Seller's name
from tabloid magazines but decided to go ahead and meet him anyway.
On their first date, Sellers suggested that they go to the movies to see The Pink Panther,
in which he played the lead inspector Clouseau.
Eckland married Sellers just ten days after meeting him.
In fact, just two days after they met, Seller gifted Britt a dachshund puppy named Pepper.
Eckland had just arrived in London to be 20th Century Fox's 'next big star'.
She was just 21 at the time and was living at the Dorchester hotel, so the puppy was
a pretty ridiculous gift – as was his previous one; every bouquet in the hotel's flower shop.
Seller's marriage proposal was apparently every bit as brazen as his lavish gifts. Several days
after they started seeing each other, Sellers reportedly called Eckland up and told her that he
had already told the press that they were getting married. Not giving her much choice,
he then cheekily asked her if that sounded OK? To this day, Eckland still doesn't remember
how she responded, but apparently, it was something along the lines of yes.
Eckland and Seller's marriage turned her into an internationally famous star practically overnight.
Since things happened so quickly, sadly, little Pepper was lost in the commotion.
For years, Eckland wondered whatever happened to the poor dog.
Years later in 2020, when she was 77. Britt received a letter from a woman
saying that she had taken in Pepper and that he had lived a long, happy life with her.
Eckland's father was thrilled when she married Sellers despite their 17-year age gap. It wouldn't
have mattered even if he had disapproved, however, as she was madly in love and deliriously happy.
While things started off passionate and Eckland became the stepmother of Seller's two children,
the couple had a pretty rocky romance.
Real quick – if you're enjoying this video so far, take a moment to show us
a little support by giving us a like and subscribing to the Facts Verse channel.
Stick around to hear all about what Britt Eckland says was the biggest mistake of her life.
It All Came Crashing on Down
Just days after their wedding, Sellers flew out to LA to appear in a movie and sent her
a letter in which he expressed his worries that she might leave him or be unfaithful.
More worrisome was how he stated that he wanted to have 'violent sex' with her.
Although Eckland admits that she's never been one to be good at spotting 'red flags',
Seller's obsessiveness was clearly alarming. Eckland would later
describe Sellers as controlling and possessive.
After receiving that letter, Sellers requested that Eckland fly out to LA
to join him for Easter. Bailing on her commitment to film Guns at Batasi,
Britt gave into Seller's demands and hopped aboard the first flight out west.
Days after arriving in Los Angeles, Sellers had
his first of several heart attacks and wound up on life support. Fortunately,
Sellers pulled through, and their daughter Victoria was born not long after in 1965.
Eckland was then fired by Fox for breach of contract. It was around this time that she
began to see Sellers dark side. After recovering from his heart attacks, he became very moody and
demanding. If she did anything he didn't like, he would threaten her with divorce
or fly off the handle in a jealous rage. At one point he even lied to Hugh Hefner,
claiming that he had nude photos of his wife that he was willing to sell if the price was right.
After years of fighting, name-calling, and feeling like she constantly was walking on eggshells,
Eckland decided that enough was enough and divorced Sellers in December 1968.
Her Next Relationships Weren't Much Better
After divorcing Peter, Eckland struck up a relationship with record producer Lou Adler.
That union resulted in Eckland giving birth to her second child,
Nicolai Adler, who was born in 1973. After things soured with Lou,
Eckland hooked up with singer Rod Stewart after she was introduced to him by Joan Collins in 1975.
Eckland and Stewart lived together for two years,
but reportedly Rod required her to pay rent. After splitting, Britt sued him for palimony.
In 1984, Eckland got married to drummer Slim Jim Phantom of the Stray Cats.
Jim was 19 years her junior, but they still had a pretty solid connection.
In 1988, they had a son named Thomas Jefferson. Four years later, in 1992, they split up.
These days, Eckland has given up on trying to find true love and is proud to say that she is happily
single. In 2020, she told the Guardian that she's been practicing what she calls 'self-partnership'.
Her Post-Bond Acting Career Was All Over The Place
Even though her status as the first Bond Girl made her world-famous, it didn't exactly set her
up for life. After The Man With The Golden Gun, Eckland continued to appear in films throughout
the 70s and 80s, and a few of these were pretty decent roles, but many of them were in low-budget
horror and thriller titles. Perhaps the best example of this was her appearance
alongside former Grease star Eddie Deezen in the direct-to-video comedy Beverly Hills Vamp.
For a while, she had better luck on TV making guest appearances in
a number of popular 80s and early 90s series like Battlestar Gallactica,
Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, Simon and Simon, The Fall Guy, and Absolutely Fabulous.
She Deeply Regrets Having Plastic Surgery
In an interview with Platinum magazine in 2021,
Eckland admitted that she 'ruined her face' by having plastic surgery done in the 90s.
In what she described as the biggest mistake of her life, the then-78-year-old detailed how,
when she was in her 50s, she underwent a lip-plumping procedure in Paris.
Instead of the moderate treatment that she was expecting, the doctor injected
multiple areas around the rim of her lips with a relatively new dental material called Articol;
bovine collagen that was briefly popular as a filler in the 90s.
Nowadays, the material is rarely, if ever, used and is considered to be very risky. Its
effects are permanent, which is why most doctors refuse to work with it.
For years, Eckland underwent painful corticosteroid injections in an attempt to
melt the articol. She later went to another surgeon to have the articol removed entirely.
Looking back on the incident, Britt feels like she absolutely ruined her face and really her
entire acting career. She knows that nips and tucks won't help her score any more roles.
She has now found peace with the aging process and is no longer interested
in going under the knife to keep her looks.
Did you already know about Britt Eckland's botched 'lip-plumping' procedure? And
what are your thoughts on her volatile marriage to Peter Sellers? Let us know
in the comments section down below.
Before you go, take a moment to show us a little support by giving this
video a like and by subscribing to the Facts Verse channel. While you're at
it, tap the bell to turn on notifications. That way, you can keep up with all of our
latest and upcoming content without missing a beat.
As always, thanks for watching! We'll see
you soon with more videos covering some of your favorite Hollywood stars,
films, and television shows.