I’m A Celebrity’s James McVey says jungle forced him to confront eating disorder: "I had a problem"

'The jungle diet pushed my body and mind to the absolute limit.'

Katie O'Malley
Friday 21 December 2018 14:03 GMT
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James McVey says his time on I'm A Celebrity forced him to tackle his 'negative relationship' with food

Musician James McVey has opened up about his battles with an eating disorder, admitting his time on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! forced him to tackle his “negative relationship” with food.

The 24-year-old said: “The jungle diet pushed my body and mind to the absolute limit. I felt like I was wasting away.

"The contrast between my body before and after has taught me a lot. It’s made me recognise that years ago I had a problem.”

The Vamps guitarist explained he first noticed he had a problem five years ago, saying his disorder “dictated my life”.

“I didn’t want to go out for meals because I didn’t want to eat food I couldn’t control,” he said in an interview with The Mirror.

"I didn’t realise how much that had taken over my life and it still does play a big part now. It’s a constant battle to try to recognise that moderation is a good thing."

Speaking about his eating disorder before entering the jungle, where campmates generally live on daily rations of beans and rice, McVey told The Mirror he is now focussed on improving his relationship with food.

He said: “I'm happy that now I've come full circle and see food as a positive.

“I don't want to belittle other people who have anorexia, but I think I definitely had a negative relationship with food in those early days. I was obsessed with food.

"It's now about building muscle and getting leaner. You need to eat more of the good things."

Anorexia (or anorexia nervosa) is a serious mental illness where people are of low weight due to limiting their energy intake, according to the UK’s leading charity supporting those affected by eating disorders, Beat.

The charity believes approximately 1.25 million people in the UK have an eating disorder.

The National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence estimates around 11 per cent of those affected by an eating disorder are male.

Beat’s Head of Communications Rebecca Field told the Independent: "It takes a lot of courage to speak out about an eating disorder but doing so will help to combat the stigma and misunderstanding around the illnesses, especially for men and boys.

"We hope that James has received the support he needed and that his bravery will encourage others to seek help."

Ms Field added it is important to realise you do not have to be underweight to have an eating disorder.

"These illnesses affect people of all ages, genders and backgrounds, and the physical symptoms such as weight loss or gain are only signs of the underlying mental health issues," she said.

McVey came fifth place on the show. English football manager Harry Redknapp went onto be crowned this year's winner.

If you have been affected by any issues mentioned in this article, you can contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 and find out more information here.

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