RTE star Angela Scanlon chokes up on air as she speaks about ...
RTE star Angela Scanlon got choked up on air as she spoke about her struggle with anorexia.
The Meath beauty sat down with Patrick Kielty on the Late Late Show tonight.
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Angela struggled with anorexia and bulimia for 15 years, starting from her late teens.
The 40-year-old is now voicing a new documentary on RTE called Anorexia, My Family and Me - which is airing next Monday, October 14, at 9.35pm on RTE One.
The series follows the stories of three families who are all struggling with the eating disorder.
Angela opened up about why she felt it was important to front the show saying: "I struggled with anorexia and bulimia for 15 years. It felt like a really important thing to do because I think it hasn't been spoken about very openly in very many forms.
"And certainly when I was in the thick of it, I don't remember switching on a telly and ever feeling like there was a kind of story that I could relate to."
Angela admitted she didn't speak about her struggle for a long time because she was "nervous".
The mum-of-two explained: "I didn't know whether talking about it would bring it back unwanted attention or scrutiny.
"And if I'm honest, I didn't feel strong enough to talk about it because I think, you want a certain level of distance between it so that you can speak about it without being highly emotional or triggered.
"And that feels a bit more helpful or a bit safer. So it took time for me to feel like I could write it down in a way that was comfortable, truthfully."
Patrick asked the radio star what she would like the documentary viewers to take from it and she replied: "First of all, I would love them to watch it because it does all of the hard work. It highlights so many issues.
"Anorexia has the highest mortality rate of all psychological illnesses, which I kind of find myself having to Google after I say that statistic. It's mind-blowing.
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"There are three beds in the entire country to help people, adult sufferers of anorexia and crazy underfunding for child services with numbers skyrocketing.
"That's all extremely bleak on the one hand. But I got over it and there is so much hope, I think."
'TURNING POINT'Angela gave some hopeful advice for those who are struggling with an eating disorder.
She said: "When I was in the middle of it, people say, 'Oh, you just have to deal with it - it's something you'll live with forever'.
"And I found that so infuriating at the time and it became a turning point for me.
"I would love anyone sitting at home in the depths of it in a lonely, horrible place to know that it's messy and it's complicated and it takes a long time."
Angela fought back her tears as she added: "But that actually you can come out the other end."
RTE viewers all praised Angela for bravely opening up on the difficult topic.
Gareth said: "Very powerful contribution by @angelascanlon on the lack of services for people with eating disorders and yet she gives others hope that people can come out the other end."
Becca wrote: "Well done Angela."
Another viewer tweeted: "This is more like it, bloody brilliant show."
