Former England cricketer Freddie Flintoff has received widespread praise for his new documentary Freddie Flintoff: Living with Bulimia, which aired on Monday night.
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In the episode, Freddie opened up about how his bulimia was triggered, explained: "I became known as a fat cricketer. That was horrible. That was when I started doing it. That was when I started being sick after meals. Then things started happening for me as a player.
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"Everyone was happy with me. My weight was coming down. It was like: 'I'm bossing this.' It just carried on and I was doing it all the time."
Viewers took to Twitter to discuss the episode, with countless fans calling the athlete an inspiration. One person wrote: "Well done Freddie for being so open and honest. A massive step for you and you will have really raised awareness for men with bulimia. All the best to you."
Freddie opened up about how his bulimia was triggered in his early career
Another added: "Brave, humble, honest. I think you will have helped many, family members and those struggling with similar issues. Sending love, strength and kindness to all those affected by these issues." A third person tweeted: "Brave guy to have given such a personal insight into his life! Got a lot of respect for him making that programme."
Fans praised Freddie for the candid documentary
In the documentary, Freddie met specialists on the subject, which led to fellow sufferers speaking out about their own struggle with the eating disorder. One person wrote: "Thank you watching your show let me tell my mum how I was bulimic in my early teens and that made me realised it's good to talk about it."
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Another viewer wrote: "I’ve lost over two and a half stone during lockdown from bulimia and I’m still not near recovery. That documentary is heartfelt and inspiring I actually got emotional, one of the most important things you could watch rn."
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