Sex Education's Aimee Lou Wood opens up about eating disorders and her body becoming her "enemy"

Aimee Lou Wood has opened up about her experience with eating disorders, revealing that her body became her "enemy".

Speaking to The Observer about her upcoming role as Sally Bowles in the West End's Cabaret, the Sex Education star explained how having a history of eating disorders has oftentimes impacted her work as an actor.

"At drama school I was being told consistently that I was moving my body in the wrong way. So when I walked into a rehearsal, where I have to express myself through my body, I felt like I was going to burst into tears. I hate feeling awkward in my own body," she admitted. "It’s definitely tied into having had eating disorders."

Aimee went on: "Your body becomes like an enemy. I was so detached from my body when I was in the eating disorders, it was like I was outside it, scrutinising it. I am very gradually getting over that."

Commenting on her recovery, Aimee said that she still finds herself dealing with "impulses" but has been working with a therapist to identify her triggers and manage how she reacts to them.

"I’d thought it was the comments that were making me have those relapses," she said, referencing how cast mates had made comments on her body – although, it's worth noting, she doesn't specify when these comments were made or by who.

"But now I realise it wasn’t the comments – it was because I was laughing them off," Aimee added. "I wasn’t telling people to stop talking to me like that. I was saying it later, through the sideways expression of the eating disorder. I wanted to be liked. I wanted them to think I was a legend!"

Aimee said she's since learnt how to shut down talk about her body, telling The Observer that she reminds crew members not to comment on her body and requests that costume designers write down her measurements without telling her.

If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.

Jade Biggs

Freelance Writer

Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK's freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.