Love Island's Dr Alex George has revealed he was left "mortified and ashamed" after being targeted about his weight by two random people in a canteen. The girls are said to have commented on his figure with one of them even squeezing his stomach.
The NHS Emergency Department worker has previously opened up about his struggles since the death of his younger brother in July 2020. Llyr had been suffering a long battle with mental health and sadly took his own life.
Dr Alex, who rose to fame after appearing on the ITV2 dating programme in 2018, has left his social media followers horrified after going public with his encounter with the girls.
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In a lengthy post in Instagram, he wrote: "I’m going to tell you a story, that I never intended to share, but I believe is important in raising awareness. A few years ago, I was queuing in the café to get my lunch when two women came up to me.
"'Alright Dr Alex' was quickly followed by the other squeezing my tummy and saying, 'You’ve put on a lot of weight since Love Island!!' They walked off laughing.
"This was in front of a queue of people as well as others sat around the canteen. I was mortified and ashamed. I felt so disgusted with myself that I left the queue and not only didn’t eat for the rest of the shift, but nothing for the rest of the day or the next.
"This was followed by binge eating for several days. It really hurt. I felt ashamed to go to work in scrubs. Interestingly, no one would have known the affect it had on me. As for many others, that was dealt with silently.
He added: "I’m not sharing this story to ‘make this about me’, I have come a long way in my relationship with my body aside from a few hangups which we all have. I wanted to tell you this story because words hurt, and they can stay with you for a long time. They can be tipping points for ED’s or trigger relapse.
"That was a few years ago and I can still hear their laughter. It was cruel. This is #eatingdisorderawareness week and I just want to raise a reminder that men struggle with body image too, often in silence.
"Please be kind to others, we all make mistakes but do think before you speak, or type. What is a moment on your lips could be a lifetime in their heads. There are some incredible people and organizations working in this space.
"Please check out @hopevirgo_ and @beatedsupport who are relentless in their mission. Also, have a listen to my @thestompcast episode with @angelascanlon who shares her story with an ED, truly inspiring and I have no doubt will help others.
"Just to finish by saying, I really was hesitant to share this story, even as I’m about to hit share I have my doubts. I forgive those people and I love my body and everything it allows me to do. I just hope this will resonate with others and raise awareness. Let’s look after each other, shall we."
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