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Rosie Huntington-Whiteley on confidence struggles as she opens up about imposter syndrome

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley suggests women have a
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley suggests women have a "harder" time accepting their own achievements. (Getty Images)

She is the epitome of a highly successful woman – but Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has revealed she still struggles with confidence when it comes to her own achievements.

The model, 34, discussed in a new interview the topic of imposter syndrome, which is defined as doubting your own abilities and fearing that you're not as competent as others believe you are.

Speaking to The Sunday Times' Style magazine, the mother-of-one noted that her partner, the actor Jason Statham, believes it is "an utter load of rubbish".

However, acknowledging that there are gender differences, she said: "This is a massive generalisation, but I think there’s a built-in confidence and an effortlessness for men with their achievements.

"They don’t think too deeply about it. Whereas I think, with women, we have a harder time accepting achievements as our own.”

The couple – who have a 20-year age gap – announced on Instagram earlier this week that they are expecting their second child.

Huntington-Whitely admitted in the same interview that, while her other half has reached a "plain-sailing" point of his career, she feels at a different life stage.

She explained: "I still feel very much I’m on the make, I’m on the hustle and it’s a hamster wheel, for lack of better words."

The star also described becoming a mother to her four-year-old son Jack as "like the rug has been pulled out from underneath me".

Huntington-Whiteley, who is launching her first product line with her own beauty company Rose Inc, added that balancing career and motherhood is a "juggle".

She has been with Statham since 2010, after the pair met on the set of the Transformers film and went public with their relationship at the Coachella music festival.

It comes just weeks after Alexa Chung similarly opened up about battling with imposter syndrome early on her career.

Read more: Alexa Chung reveals imposter syndrome struggle early in her career

The TV presenter and fashion designer, now 37, revealed – also to Style  that it had affected her "definitely, at the beginning, for sure".

However, Chung – who has run her own fashion label, with a team of 23, since 2017 – noted that she had always had an innate fearlessness too.

The host of Netflix's recent Next In Fashion said: "I’ve never been afraid to fail. I don’t mind having egg on my face.

"It’s not confidence, more ‘What’s the worst thing that can happen if it cocks up?’"

Watch: Celebrities reveal their mental health struggles