Gemma Oaten has spoken out about her decades long battle with anorexia and how difficult it is to have an eating disorder at Christmas.
The 36-year-old former Emmerdale actress has shared a photo of her when she was struggling with anorexia as a teenager and said that she was 24 hours from death when she was 12.
Gemma said that the disorder left her feeling "dead inside" and that she did not have a "normal" Christmas for 14 years. The actress, who is best known for playing Rachel Breckle in the ITV soap, has been in recovery from anorexia for the past 13 years but it is still affects her every day.
She has now revealed on social media how it feels to have the disorder during the festive season and the toll it takes on mental health.