Robbie Williams reveals he once ate just one banana a day at the height of his battle with anorexia: ‘It was either restrictive or overeating, I never got it right’
Robbie Williams has revealed how he once lived on one banana a day at the height of his battle with eating disorders.
The former Take That singer, 49, who is set to release a brand new Netflix documentary this month charting his rollercoaster career, has spoken out about his experiences and said for the first time that it is fair to say he was anorexic .
His new documentary recalls a particularly worrying period in his life, during which he admits he ate just one banana a day and survived on 90 calories.
Speak with The ZoAround that time, Robbie explains, “I’ve been suffering from an overarching eating disorder all my life, it’s a mixture of all the disorders.”
‘I had ‘bigorexia’, which means you have no muscles and no size, and anorexia. However, there is one word missing, and that is me. It was either restrictive or overeating. I’ve never had it right… There’s an eating disorder that I’m just not sure what my brand is.”
Speaking: Robbie Williams has revealed how he once lived on one banana a day at the height of his battle with eating disorders
Anorexia is a serious psychological condition in which a person restricts his or her food intake, often leaving him or her severely underweight. Many also exercise excessively.
Some patients may experience episodes of binge eating followed by purging. Patients often have a distorted image of themselves and think they are bigger than they really are.
The singer has spoken openly in the past about his ongoing battle with body dysmorphia.
In July, the former Take That star, who admitted to having Botox, addressed his weight loss after fans noticed his slimmed-down physique.
He posted a drawing to his 2.7 million Instagram followers showing two characters: one saying, “It’s gone too far,” and the other saying, “Oh, bless you.”
As part of the caption, Robbie wrote: ‘I could write a book about self-loathing when it comes to my body image. Like pure self-loathing.
The ugliness of feeling ugly. I am physically dysmorphic and in addition to being dysmorphic at times, I can also be over 40 pounds overweight.
“So you can imagine what my mind sees. Or maybe there’s no way you can do it, it’s a damn disaster.
Showman: The former Take That singer, 49, who is about to release a brand new Netflix documentary charting his rollercoaster career, has spoken out about his experiences, and for the first time it’s far from saying he was anorexic
Right now I’m skinny… But being me, my thoughts go: ‘F*****g awesome Rob, you managed to get skinny and now you’re old, congratulations, golf clap.
‘The struggle is real, the sadness is shocking. I’ve had it all my life. And it won’t subside.’
Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition in which a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These defects are often invisible to others.
People of any age can have BDD, but it is most common in teenagers and young adults. It affects both men and women.
Having BDD does not mean you are vain or self-obsessed. It can be very disturbing and have a major impact on your life.
Robbie has confessed in the past that he has an ‘addictive nature’ and struggles with his sugar intake and eating healthy foods.
The singer, who has now been sober for 20 years, revealed that he had gained a lot of weight when he got high and went grocery shopping.
Reflective: The star said of his eating disorder: It was restrictive or overeating – I’ve never had it right… there is an eating disorder, I’m just not sure what my brand is’
Robbie reflected on his mental health struggles in the latest trailer for his upcoming Netflix docuseries.
It came ahead of the November 8 release of the four-part show, which will combine never-before-seen footage of Robbie with new interviews.
The series coincides with the 25th anniversary of his solo career and provides an intimate look at his never-before-seen personal archive spanning 30 years.
In the new trailer, he started reflecting on his journey and career before opening up about how things started to get tough, resulting in a “nervous mental breakdown for thousands of people.”
Robbie – who shares Teddy, 10, Charlie, eight, Coco, four, and Beau, three, with wife Ayda – mused: ‘It’s amazing what’s happened in my life. But the past has a hold on me.
‘Something has to happen. You should only do this at the pearly white gate with St. Peter, while you look back on your life.’
He added that he was thrust into the spotlight at a young age: ‘When I joined Take That at 16 it was crazy. I was the center of the pop culture world.
‘I felt like I was giving away more and more of myself, to the point where you no longer recognize yourself.
‘When you’re in the spotlight, you can’t trust anyone. I had a nervous breakdown in front of thousands of people.
‘What would have destroyed me has also made me successful. Touch the fire, push when it says ‘pull’ and see if I can live. I don’t know how easy it is for people to get to know me.’
Robbie has been very open about his ongoing battle with mental illness and his history of depression and anxiety. And when his fame reached an all-time high, the pop star hit rock bottom.
From 2006 to 2009, Williams battled agoraphobia. Social anxiety disorder left him housebound for three years.
He has previously revealed he went to rehab in 2007 after using speed, acid, heroin, cocaine and ‘heartbreaking’ amounts of prescription drugs.
Icon: Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of his solo career, Robbie’s upcoming Netflix series will provide an intimate look at his never-before-seen 30-year personal archive