Fearne Cotton has said she does not feel “ashamed anymore” after revealing her past battle with bulimia.
The TV presenter said it was a “relief” to finally open up, and that she hopes by speaking out about her eating disorder she could help others.
Cotton, 38, made the revelation on the How To Fail With Elizabeth Day podcast, saying that her issues stemmed from not feeling good enough for her job having been in the limelight from a young age, and that she felt “a little bit embarrassed” about sharing it.
In a post on Instagram, Cotton thanked her fans for their support in recent days.
She wrote: “It feels perhaps slightly odd that I haven’t addressed the situation on my own channels. Maybe I’m still a little scared to talk about it openly. Yet I am getting there.
“It was actually a big relief to talk about my twenties where I suffered with bulimia for a decade. I had some wonderful times in my twenties but I also had a lot of stuff to figure out and sometimes the strangeness of my job and pressure I was under felt too much.
“I’ve encouraged honesty in my books and own podcast series so I really felt it was time to start facing my own truth and so far it feels more of a relief than anything else.”
She said that it is “still very new to mention it at all, even to my mates let alone publicly but I believe it can only do good as hopefully I can offer up solace and hope for others who have been through the same.”
The former Radio 1 DJ and Top Of The Pops host added: “My reaction to that decade has been to dedicate myself to health and eating well and lowering stress in my thirties.
“I know my limits and I work with them as much as I can. As I hurtle towards 40 I feel much more balanced in myself and how I perceive life.
“I don’t feel ashamed anymore, or alone as so many of you have reached out to me as well as some dear friends who I had no idea had been through the same.”
She signed off by saying that she has “got a lot more to say” and that it is “early days” for her talking about the issue.
In Elizabeth Day’s podcast, Cotton said of her bulimia: “It’s been this weird secret that I’ve felt a little bit embarrassed about, a little bit ashamed of, a little bit worried about.
“I’m still worried now – what people are going to think when I tell this story and share this side of myself? I had that on/off for a good decade of my life.”
Broadcaster, writer and Happy Place podcast host Cotton has previously talked openly about depression and having panic attacks.