Fearne Cotton Opens Up About Bulimia Battle and Therapy's Impact
Fearne Cotton, the renowned TV and radio presenter, has candidly shared her personal struggle with bulimia, revealing she was unaware she had an eating disorder during her teenage years and twenties. In a detailed Instagram post, timed with the start of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Cotton, now 44, discussed her past issues with food and the transformative effect therapy has had on her adult life.
She explained that for years, she disregarded the problem, only confronting her bulimia head-on in her late twenties. 'When I was dealing with bulimia in my late teens, and sporadically throughout my twenties, but quite dramatically in my early twenties, I didn't know I had an eating disorder. I didn't know that's what it was,' she told her followers. 'It was just something that I did in secret. And I didn't want anyone to know about it, and I certainly didn't see it as a problem, because that's where my mind had gone to.'
The Turning Point and Healing Journey
Cotton described how her perspective shifted over time. 'That was the levels of the eating disorder that I was dealing with, and it wasn't really until my late twenties that I thought I've gotta do something about this, because this is not good, and it's not doing me any good mentally, or physically.' She emphasized the vital role of therapy in her recovery, stating, 'But I would say over the years therapy has helped me a lot, a hell of a lot, and hearing other people's stories about it, and knowing that it's not something to be ashamed of, it's certainly not something that needs to remain secret.'
The presenter, who began her TV career at age 15 on GMTV, previously disclosed that her ten-year battle with bulimia was triggered by self-loathing and a negative body image. She admitted to feeling 'too broad' and struggled to even acknowledge the condition. 'I couldn't say the word "bulimia" for years,' she confessed. 'I didn't identify with it, I couldn't say it, and I was sort of mortified about all of it.'
Overcoming Stigma and Encouraging Others
Now, Cotton feels comfortable discussing her experiences openly, driven by a desire to help others. 'Now I feel very comfortable talking about it, and probably just through practice feel like it's important to talk about it, because lots of people will be dealing with it now.' She addressed the isolation often felt by those with eating disorders, noting, 'And also, when you're in it, you feel like it's impossible to break that cycle, whether it's bulimia or anorexia or any other version of an eating disorder.'
However, she offered a message of hope: 'But it's not impossible, and you can heal, and you can recover, and I've heard some incredible stories about other people that have been doing some amazing work.' Cotton, who overcame bulimia after marrying musician Jesse Wood and having children, shared her insights in 2023 after being moved by online debates about the return of 'Heroin Chic,' a term from the early '90s describing emaciated fashion models.
In an Instagram post, she wrote: 'Sometimes I think tons of differing voices weighing in on a subject is too noisy but having had a lot of body image issues over the years I feel compelled if only to continue some healthy debate. I was bulimic for ten years which was partly an issue of self loathing and partly a control mechanism.' She added, 'I still feel a discomfort in mentioning it, only spurred on by the knowledge that so many are dealing with it now and might feel like they'll never break the cycle. My message being...if I can, you can. It is absolutely possible. Go gentle on yourself and know that you can heal.'
If you have been affected by anything in this article, please call Eating Disorders Support on: 01494 793223.
