Victoria Beckham reveals the real reason she never smiles for the camera, and it's probably not what you think

Throughout her illustrious and varied career Victoria Beckham has done so much that we can only dream of. From taking to the stage and performing all over the world with the Spice Girls, to watching her fashion creations being showcased on the catwalk, a lot of her big life moments have played out in the public eye.

Her level of fame is so huge that she can rarely go anywhere without being photographed, yet Victoria is known for rarely smiling in snaps. Over the years this has garnered quite a lot of attention, but the designer has now bravely shared the real reason for it.

It might not be the answer fans were expecting, but in her eponymous new Netflix series, Victoria Beckham explained that a "barrier goes up" because she just doesn't "have the confidence".

In the first Victoria Beckham trailer she teared up admitting how she grew up "desperately" wanting to be liked and was "awkward" at school. Speaking now as a 51-year-old woman, Victoria movingly recalled a memory of being out with actor Eva Longoria and the attention they received from the paparazzi.

"I remember once going out with Eva and there were lots of paparazzi and Eva is walking along and not giving a shit, and throwing her head back and laughing - she doesn't care," she explained. "And I remember I wasn't even talking to her because I didn't want to be photographed."

Victoria shared that the minute she sees a camera she changes - "the barrier goes up, my armour goes on, and that's when, you know, the miserable cow that doesn't smile, that's when she comes out". She's "so conscious" of this and the narrative that surrounds it.

The designer added, "I don't like that, I'd rather not be that person. I'd love to have the confidence to walk out of a restaurant and smile or stand on a red carpet and smile, but I just can't do it."

It's all-too-easy to think that decades of media attention somehow means celebrities are immune to feelings of self-consciousness, shyness or anxiety in public. However, this is far from the case and Victoria Beckham's candid admission in her Netflix docuseries shines a light on this.

It serves as a powerful reminder for people that high-profile figures also have their own insecurities and vulnerabilities - and that not everyone is a fan of being photographed. Instead of berating Victoria for not smiling, we can put ourselves in her shoes and think of how daunting it must be to be followed by paparazzi so much.

Of course, just because she doesn't have the "confidence" to smile all the time doesn't mean she *never* does. Showing her sense of humour elsewhere in the documentary, Victoria confirmed, "I do, so don't be shocked!"

Part of the reason why she decided to do the three-part Victoria Beckham Netflix series in the first place was to show different sides to her and to be really open.

"I think there's real strength in vulnerability, and that's really what this documentary is about from the Spice Girls, to the highs and the inevitable lows that have shaped me along the way," she said in a post shared on Instagram alongside the trailer.

Victoria Beckham is now streaming on Netflix.