Bake Off star Steph Blackwell inspired viewers this morning, as she appeared on Lorraine Kelly to discuss her eating disorder.
The 28-year-old, who made it to the final three on the hit Channel 4 baking show, bravely opened up about the traumatic experience, describing herself as a “work in progress”.
Reflecting on when the problem started, she explained: “I was about 17.
“I didn’t really know where my life was going and then it was like you need to decide what you want to do with your life.”
“I started to get really depressed. I would use food as a bit of a scaffold.”
She went on: “I would us exercise if I thought I’d overeaten, I’d binge at times, and it was always in secret.”
Lorraine chipped in, saying: “It was about having control.”
Steph agreed: “When everything else went completely out of control, it ends up being a bit of a safety net.”
The baking pro said that her grandfather was the first person to notice that she’d grown worryingly thin.
Using her new platform to reach out to fellow sufferers, she encouraged viewers to get help.
She said: “I didn’t go on to Bake Off to be the next celebrity, but if I can help one person…”
More to follow…
Lorraine airs on weekdays at 8.30am on ITV.
