Loose Women star Frankie Bridge has bravely opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder in a candid video posted to Instagram after a therapy session. The 33-year-old former Saturdays singer spoke out against the resurfacing trend of 'heroin chic', which dominated 1990s catwalks and has recently been declared as making a comeback in a viral tweet.
In the emotional video, Frankie revealed that she has been seeing a therapist specifically for eating disorders and body image since last year. She admitted that talking about food and weight has been far more difficult for her than discussing anxiety and depression, which she has addressed in therapy for years. 'It's almost been a dirty little secret for so many years and my way of finding a form of control,' she said.
Frankie confessed that she has been 'constantly' plotting ways to restrict her food intake and categorising food into good and bad groups. She shared that she felt 'shame' and 'embarrassment' when her therapist asked her to keep a food diary, and that she previously cancelled sessions to avoid it. 'Is there any wonder heroin chic is back? Everyone's gotta be skinny again,' she remarked.
However, Frankie ended on a positive note, revealing that she has finally started keeping a food diary. 'When I see it written down, I'm like, of course I'm eating like an absolute idiot!' she said, noting that she often goes five to six hours between meals and then reaches for unhealthy options. 'Lots of things for me to relearn and retrain my brain,' she added.
