NICOLA Mclean has opened up how the coronavirus lockdown caused her to relapse with her eating disorder.
The TV personality, 38, revealed she started feeling “out of control” when certain foods were not available in the shops because of panic buying at the start of lockdown.
This lead the mum-of-two to start “limiting” what she ate because of “fear.”
The WAG told New! magazine: “I definitely limit it [food] and lost weight.
“It was the fear of eating things I wouldn’t normally eat.
“It’s mainly a control thing – feeling so out of control and then feeling like you’ve got to control and restrict.”
Eating disorder charity, Beat, has recorded a 50% surge in demand for its services as people struggle during the coronavirus lockdown and has set up a specialised support service.
Nicola first started battling anorexia and bulimia at the age of 11, and was then later diagnosed with body dysmorphia.
Her recent relapse is not her first, she admitted she “starved herself” following the birth of her second son, Striker, in March 2010, and appearing on Celebrity Big Brother in 2012 triggered it again.
But Nicola feared her latest replapse was coming after she was sexually assaulted by a masseur in her own home last year.
The I’m A Celeb contestant opened up for the first time last month about the horrific assault and it took the lockdown for her to tell her story.
Nicola, 38, said: “I’ve seen all the statistics about domestic violence and abuse going up during lockdown.
“I felt like I couldn’t escape that day and I can’t imagine being in that situation day after day, feeling like you can’t get away. I want to say to anyone out there being abused — you can escape.”
The mother of two has suffered nightmares, severe anxiety and the return of an eating disorder since the attack last year.
It is just over a year since Nicola decided to have an £18,000 “mummy makeover”, with new 32FF boobs and liposuction.
To aid her recovery, she was advised to have regular lymphatic drainage massages after the fat-removing procedure. It meant she invited the man who would assault her into her home.
She said: “I’ve spoken about my anxiety and eating disorders before and this has added to everything. There have been times when I felt it was my fault or, ‘Why me?’
Signs and symptoms of anorexia according to BEAT charity
- Saying they have eaten earlier or will eat later, or that they have eaten more than they have
- Not being truthful about how much weight they have lost
- Weight loss
- Strict dieting and avoiding food they think is fattening
- Counting the calories in food excessively
- Irregular peiods or stop of periods all together
- Anxiety around food – particularly about eating in front of other people
- Low body temperature
- Growth of soft, fine hair on the body (Ianugo)
- Eating only low-calorie food, or otherwise limiting the type of food they will eat
- Missing meals (fasting)
- Poor circulation
- Avoiding eating with other people
- Hiding food
- Taking appetite suppressants, such as slimming or diet pills
- Obsessive and/or rigid behaviour, particularly around food
- Excessive exercising – this might involve exercising when not physically well enough to do so, or feeling guilty or anxious about not exercising
- Vomiting or misusing laxatives (purging)
- Wearing baggy clothing to hide their body, due to self-consciousness or to make weight loss less noticeable
“When I’ve felt overwhelmed, I’ve starved myself or binged and thrown up, and that’s sad because I’ve worked hard to overcome my eating disorders.”
The star, who lives in Bucks with her husband, retired Peterborough United footballer Tom Williams who was away on business during the alleged attack, said: “I was in bed for weeks, barely able to lift my head. I felt exhausted. I’ve never felt so ill in my life.”
So she booked masseur arrived at the house for their scheduled session and immediately commented on Tom’s absence.
She described how the masseuse has started rubbing her legs – even though she hadn’t had liposuction there – and breathing heavily.
