A transgender woman who was "living in pain" until she transitioned says she's finally confident in her body after becoming a Britney Spears impersonator.
Pavie Valsa, 27, moved to London in 2016 and began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in 2019 to begin the first phase of her transition.
The performer, who is originally from the Czech Republic, has been entertaining friends and family since she was four years old and living as a boy - putting on dance shows in the living room.
But she struggled with her identity throughout her childhood and teenage years and faced relentless bullying at school.
She said: "As a teenager, I didn’t know I was transgender, but I was always on the feminine side. I used to be called gay boy.
"I was always the target of bullying because of the way I was, so it was really difficult.
"I was living in pain, not because I was struggling mentally, but I felt like I was missing something.
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"And in some ways, I felt like I was hiding away."
When she was 18, she moved to Australia and began exploring her sexuality, going to gay bars.
But when Pavie moved to London, she began to feel increasingly uncomfortable in her male body.
She said: "I was always asked if I was a boy or a girl and I used to just tell people I was genderless.
"I didn’t have any gender dysphoria. But when I moved to London in 2016, I started dressing up as a woman.
"In 2017, I got to the point that I was so uncomfortable with my pronoun being 'he' and with my body.
"I felt like I wasn’t male, I was female. It was such a big struggle."
Working as a make-up artist at the time, Pavie said she felt the people around her helped her realise who she really was - which gave her the confidence to come out to her family in 2019.
Thankfully, she said her family took the news really well.
"My mum said over the phone to my dad that she was meant to have a girl. It was a really beautiful moment for us," Pavie recalled.
As she began her transition, Pavie faced a minimum wait of three years for HRT on the NHS - so she paid £2,000 for private therapy instead.
She explained: "Hormone treatment saved my life, I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t get it. It was sent from heaven. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I feel so at peace with who I am now.
"But, before I started transitioning, I was going through a lot of anxiety and depression and I didn’t want to see anyone. It was very isolating."
After two years of HRT, Pavie began making physical changes - forking out £7,000 for a boob job and £3,000 on chin, cheek, nose and lip filler.
She has also been able to fulfil her dream of performing for a living and now lip syncs to her favourite Britney tracks four days a week at the Tonight Josephine bar in Waterloo.
She said: "Even though I’m impersonating someone, I feel like I’m able to live as my true self finally.
"After I came out in 2017, a whole new world opened up. I’m living as my authentic self now.
"I’m so happy in my body. I feel happy, I feel confident. My entire life changed when I came out as a woman."
And as she spends more and more time pretending to be the world's biggest popstar onstage, Pavie claims she can see herself morphing into Britney in her day-to-day life.
"Sometimes, when I laugh or smile, I am shocked to find I'm doing it in the way she does. I have to think about it to switch back from being her into me," she said.
"When I’m out, so many people tell me I look like Britney, it’s crazy. And then I’ll bust out the moves and everyone loves it. It's such fun!"
She hopes the real star will come to a show at the bar one day - and has even offered to be a decoy for recently-engaged Britney if she ever wants to escape the paparazzi.
The impersonator said: "I would love for Britney to come and see me, I think she would enjoy it. It would be an honour. Maybe she’ll think she’s looking into a mirror.
"If she ever wants to get rid of the paparazzi, I’d be happy to be her double so she can escape from them.
"She can get in touch with me anytime."
Now Pavie is finally happy in her body she wants to encourage other people to be kind to the transgender community.
She said: "I think compassion is so important for anyone who has never met a transgender person, who has no idea what it is.
"It’s so easy to judge. We should all just be kind to each other.
"I want it to be easier for the next generation of trans people so they can feel comfortable in their skin and be accepted.
"We are not weirdos or freaks, we’re normal people who were born in the wrong body and want to live a happy life just like anyone else."
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