TikTok popstar Peach PRC bares all on stripping past and rapid rise to fame

Australian TikTok royalty Peach PRC got her start in the adult industry, but in a rare interview the musician has revealed she has no regrets about her “dark and messy” past.

Aussie TikTok superstar Peach PRC describes herself as a “pink obsessed, mentally ill musician”.

The 24-year-old, whose real name is Shayelee Curnow, has an incredible backstory — one that reads like a Hollywood movie script.

She grew up in Adelaide, dropped out of school at the end of Year 10 and became a stripper at the age of 19.

Now based in Sydney, she is one of Australia’s most prominent social media personalities who is signed to major US music label, Republic Records, alongside a roster of global artists that include Ariana Grande, Drake, Post Malone and Taylor Swift.

Australian popstar Peach PRC has nearly two million TikTok followers. Picture: Supplied

“I don’t even really know what I do to be honest, it is like everything is just a stream of consciousness for me,” the singer told The Daily Telegraph in a rare interview. “I have a thought in my head for more than two minutes and then its out. Music comes from pretty much journal entries and feelings that I am trying to personally work through, and I find it easier to do that through music.”

Peach, who took her stage name from Princess Peach from the Mario computer game franchise, has millions of fans on Tiktok thanks to her raw, honest and often funny video content.

Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell are fans, as is American rapper Rico Nasty.

Pop heavyweight siblings Finneas O'Connell and Billie Eilish are fans of Peach PRC. Picture: Lia Toby/Getty Images)

There is very much a dark side to the story though, being her battles with mental illness and her four years in the adult industry as a stripper.

“I didn’t want to tell customers my real name or put music out under my real name because people can be creepy when they have too much information,” she said. “So I had to put my music out under my stage name, which was Peach. I was networking at work, when I would dance for customers I would show them my songs.”

She has no regrets however.

Peach PRC at the 2021 ARIA Awards. Her single Josh peaked at number 38. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I’m really proud, even with all of the darkness and messiness and all of the mistakes, I’m proud of everything that I am and have been,” she said. “A lot of my music and my lyrics come from living those experiences and I am glad that I had them. I did what I had to do and I met a lot of beautiful people and learnt a lot of important lessons.

“It (stripping) has this kind of empowering message behind it when people talk about sex work and I think it can be for a lot of people. But I think we are so focused on trying to destigmatise it that I think we forget that there is a lot of really damaging things that come with it for young girls.”

TikTok star Peach PRC's fans value her raw honesty.

Her posts tackle personal topics such as mental health, sexuality, religion and sex work.

Peach made global headlines after ex partner, comedian Alex Williamson let rip with deeply distressing and derogatory comments about the singer. In December, NSW Police filed an apprehended violence order on Peach PRC’s behalf to protect her from Williamson by preventing him from contacting her at all.

Not able to comment on Williamson for legal reasons, she noted more generally: “It definitely has been incredibly frustrating at times and overwhelming but I’ve dealt with hard things before and I probably will again. It is just a part of the journey and I am in a really good place with it.”

Peach looks up to pop stars like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry. Her track Josh recently featured in the Triple J Hottest 100 while her new song, God is a Freak, is released today.

“I don’t really have an end goal,” she said. “I try to be grateful for what’s happening now. If it was to stop here, I’ve made it further than I thought I ever would so everything from here is just like an amazing bonus. I will take it as far as I can take it.”

Originally published as TikTok popstar Peach PRC bares all on stripping past and rapid rise to fame