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Fearne Cotton opens up about her secret battle with bulimia

The TV presenter suffered in silence for ten years

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Fearne Cotton has opened up about her secret battle with bulimia.

The 38-year-old, who has always been forthcoming about her struggles with panic attacks, depression and anxiety, said stress in her twenties resulted in a disordered relationship with food.

Joining Elizabeth Day on her podcast How To Fail, the TV presenter opened up about the eating disorder which was caused by imposter syndrome.

Fearne Cotton and Elizabeth Day | Instagram

“I just wanted to not be me,” she said.

“I didn’t feel cool enough, I didn’t feel smart enough or like I was good enough for the job, didn’t feel like I was doing anything well enough to be defined by in a positive way.”

Fearne said stress manifested itself, resulting in “a disordered relationship” with her body and food for “10 years.”

“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,” she admitted.

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“I’m still worried now – what people are going to think when I tell this story and share this side of myself?”

“I have a weird worry like when I did when I talked about the depression, that people won’t hire me to work,” she explained.

“At the beginning of my twenties it was quite intense and sort of ruled everything, and then in my later twenties it was more like a bad habit I would kick into if something emotional was happening or if I felt out of control.”

Fearne also said that she has now recovered, and her struggle is “the past.”

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