From Reality TV Triumph to Private Torment
British actress and model Sophie Sumner, who famously became the first UK contestant to win America's Next Top Model in 2012, has revealed the immense pressure following her victory triggered severe addiction issues and a devastating eating disorder. The 35-year-old Oxford-born beauty, who previously modelled for prestigious brands including Vogue Italia, Puma and Rimmel, appeared to be living a fashion fairytale, but behind the scenes, she was engaged in a lonely struggle.
The Vicious Cycle of Addiction and Bulimia
Despite her professional success under judges Tyra Banks and Kelly Cutrone, Sophie confessed her self-worth plummeted. 'I'd won one of the biggest shows in the world, yet my self esteem and my self worth were just so small,' she explained on her YouTube channel. This emotional turmoil led her to turn to alcohol, using it as a coping mechanism. Simultaneously, the industry's pressure to be thin drove her into the grips of bulimia, which became an all-consuming obsession.
She described a harrowing routine: 'Sometimes I would go to McDonald's and buy 24 chicken nuggets and get into bed and eat them and then go to the toilet and throw up and then come back out and eat some ice cream, and then go to the toilet and throw up.' The physical toll was severe, causing her to pop blood vessels in her eyes and leaving her crying on the bathroom floor in a vicious cycle.
The Road to Recovery and Rebuilding a Life
Her decline became impossible to ignore when a major agent in England confronted her about her thinning hair and yellowing skin. After hitting rock bottom and losing both her modelling and acting agents, a turning point came during an acting class with a coach who was 20 years sober. This encounter gave her the courage to seek help.
Sophie has now been in a recovery programme for five years and has rebuilt her life and career. She hopes that by sharing her story, she can help others who are suffering in silence, emphasising that 'There is no worse feeling than sitting on the floor of that bathroom and being paralysed.'
