In a new three-part documentary series on Netflix, Victoria Beckham, the former Spice Girls star breaks her decades-long silence around her eating disorder, explaining it partly stemmed from the harsh criticism she was often subjected to by the press.
Many will recall the now sadly infamous moment that Victoria was weighed on live TV, by Chris Evans, months after giving birth to her eldest son, Brooklyn.
"Is your weight back to normal?" Evans probed, coaxing her to step on the scales. "Can I check, do you mind?"
Speaking honestly, Victoria reflected on that moment and how the tabloids have labelled her everything from 'Porky Posh' to 'Skinny Posh', and how this had a hugely damaging impact on her mental health – and lead to her severely restricting her diet.
Eating disorders often stem from a place of wanting to exert control on a situation, and are a mental health condition which can also affect a person's physical health.
Victoria also explains that she grew up receiving criticism about her weight when trying to make it as a dancer in her younger years, and says being 'put at the back' of the troupe during performances due to her appearance left a scar.
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"I really started to doubt myself and not like myself, and because I let it affect me, I didn't know what I saw when I looked in the mirror," the designer and mother of four says. "You lose all sense of reality. I'm just very critical of myself. I didn't like what I saw."
Victoria then continued on to add, "I could control it with the clothing. I could control my weight and I was controlling it in an incredibly unhealthy way. It really affects you when you're being told constantly you're not good enough.
"When you have an eating disorder, you become very good at lying. I was never honest about it with my parents. I never talked about it publicly. It really affects you that you're being told you’re constantly not good enough. And that's been with me my whole life."
Husband, David Beckham, also spoke about the cruel and misogynistic undertones that dominated celebrity press coverage during the nineties, noughties and beyond.
"People felt that it was okay to criticise a woman for her weight, for what she's doing, for what she's wearing, there were a lot of things happening in TV then that won't happen now," he reflected. "That can’t happen now."
Watch 'Victoria Beckham' on Netflix now
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health and relationship with food and/or body image, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity on 0808 801 0677 or visit the website beateatingdisorders.org.uk
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
