Presenter Fearne Cotton , 38, has reflected on her ten-year eating disorder battle.
She first revealed she had suffered from bulimia in Elizabeth Day's How To Fail podcast last week.
And today, in a lengthy post on Instagram , she explained that she hoped to help others by being open about her struggle.
Bulimia is a disorder where the affected person will eat large amounts of food and then purge it from their bodies, by making themselves vomit or taking laxatives.
Fashion icon Fearne admitted she was under a lot of pressure at the start of her career, and she did not feel "cool enough, smart enough or good enough".
She added: "It felt like a release, like every worry, every problem, thought, was just gone. It was like a little bit of euphoria afterwards. Of course, it wasn’t.
"I want to be very clear about that. It took quite a while physically to kind of move on from that, but mentally a very long time."
Alongside a smiling selfie on Instagram, the former Top Of The Pops presenter wrote: "Morning lovelies. I just wanted to say thanks for all of the messages regarding the podcast recording I did with @elizabday on her series How To Fail.
It feels perhaps slightly odd that I haven’t addressed the situation on my own channels. Maybe I'm still a little scared to talk about it openly.
"Yet I am getting there. It was actually a big relief to talk about my twenties where I suffered with bulimia for a decade."
Mum-of-two Fearne has had an incredibly successful career which saw her appear as a team captain on Celebrity Juice, present The Xtra Factor, and have her own slot on Radio 1.
She continued: "I had some wonderful times in my twenties but I also had a lot of stuff to figure out and sometimes the strangeness of my job and pressure I was under felt too much.
"I’ve encouraged honesty in my books and own podcast series so I really felt it was time to start facing my own truth and so far it feels more of a relief than anything else.
"It’s still very new to mention it at all, even to my mates let alone publicly but I believe it can only do good as hopefully I can offer up solace and hope for others who have been through the same."
Fearne has also written self help books to assist people with mental health struggles, and she has written two healthy cook books.
She went on: "My reaction to that decade has been to dedicate myself to health and eating well and lowering stress in my thirties. I know my limits and I work with them as much as I can.
She concluded the heartfelt post: "As I hurtle towards 40 I feel much more balanced in myself and how I perceive life.
"I don’t feel ashamed anymore, or alone as so many of you have reached out to me as well as some dear friends who I had no idea had been through the same.
"It’s early days for me discussing this one but I’ve got a lot more to say."
Her fans applauded her for her honesty in speaking about the difficult topic, which a lot of sufferers find embarrassing to talk about.
Author Lizzie Carr replied: "Brave and honest - thank you ... Speaking out is hard but when we do it’s cathartic and transformative in ways we don’t expect.
"Thank you for sparking conversation around so many mental health and well-being issues, and finding the voice to share your own too. X"
Blogger Zoë de Pass wrote: "This is brave and honest and your courage will help others as well as yourself".
While nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert added: "Incredible and honest for you to share. No need to be ashamed you’d be amazed how many go through it. Bug hugs and thank you this is going to help so many".
Fearne is married to Jesse Wood - son of Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, and they share two children Rex, six and four-year-old Honey.
She recently revealed that watching Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot led to her realising her then relationship with Jesse Jenkins had no future.
Fearne said watching the royals become husband and wife "hit home" that she was never going to have that with her ex fiancé and that their romance "imploded" shortly after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's special day.
