Helen Flanagan has revealed that she almost ended up with an eating disorder because of her desire to be as thin as possible when she was a teenager.
In an interview with Now magazine, the former 'Coronation Street' star says she was so obsessed with looking like her idol Keira Knightley that she became 'borderline anorexic'.
Helen Flanagan
"I went to a girls’ school and I wanted to be skinny," she told the mag. "But I got carried away and became borderline anorexic when I was 15, which I know lots of girls go through.
"I think it’s just one of those things when you think it’s attractive to be really skinny. It takes a while for some girls to realise it’s not. I’m happy now but I had counselling for it – it’s difficult growing into your body.
"I had an obsession with Keira Knightley. I used to try to pout like her and I wanted to be as thin as her, but I realise now that she’s just naturally slim. I’m a lot curvier. We have different body types. It’s just the way it is."
The 23-year-old actress and model also revealed that she's hoping to start a family with her boyfriend, footballer Scott Sinclair, next year.
"I want to focus on my career next year, but maybe around my birthday [in August] I’ll start thinking about it," she said.
"I’ve been thinking about it for a while. But to sit down and plan it is much harder. When you have a baby you can’t do the work I do, but I can be a working mum.
"I’ve always dreamt more about babies and stuff. I was in LA shopping with my agent and I was just looking at baby things.
"Although people think I wouldn’t be able to handle it, I think I’d be great. It’s just a natural thing."
Read the full interview with Helen Flanagan in Now magazine, out now www.nowmagazine.co.uk
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