The Voice star Tom Fletcher on ‘deeply unhealthy obsession’ that led to bipolar diagnosis

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The Voice judge Tom Fletcher previously opened up about his “deeply unhealthy” eating disorder that led to his bipolar diagnosis.

The musician – who is on The Voice repeat today (October 13) – shot to fame as a member of McFly in the 2000s.

However, despite all the glitz and glam, behind closed doors, Tom was battling with an “obsession” that he described as “a deeply unhealthy one”.

The Voice judge Tom Fletcher on being ‘the fat one in the band’

In 2012, Tom candidly opened up about the dark times, admitting that he secretly battled an eating disorder while in McFly.

“I was obsessing about being the fat one in the band,” he wrote in the memoir of the band, Unsaid Things… Our Story.

“I wanted to lose weight, but rather than going about it the sensible way, I pretty much stopped eating,” Tom added.

As a result, Tom embarked on an unhealthy ritual. He revealed: “I’d go to Starbucks and order a frappuccino and blueberry muffin and that was me for the day. Not eating apart from my daily Starbucks became my routine.”

Tom Fletcher reveals extent of heartbreaking eating disorder

Tom then shared how he would “beat myself up” if he “consumed anything else.” He said: “I’d be in a foul mood if we were working somewhere there was no Starbucks.”

The musician also recounted a time when his car was in the garage, so he “got up extra early and walked several miles to our local town to get one.” Tom added: “It was an obsession and a deeply unhealthy one.”

Tom was diagnosed with bipolar

According to Tom, his unhealthy dieting habits spiralled him back into depression – something he conquered five years earlier. Tom then decided to reach out for help. He had a consultation with his GP who then referred him to a specialist at the Priory clinic.

After meeting with two additional doctors, Tom was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. His treatment plan included antidepressants. He also had nightly sessions with hypnotherapy tapes that he would listen to as he fell asleep.

‘I just cried’

Tom also spoke out about his bipolar diagnosis in 2020, revealing that Stephen Fry’s documentary helped him realise he had bipolar.

“In late 2011, I watched a documentary by Stephen Fry called The Secret Life Of The Manic Depressive. He shared his story of bipolar disorder and depression, and it sounded exactly like me. I just cried,” Tom said to MailOnline.

“I’d never thought about it being a definable mental health condition before, and I decided to speak to a therapist,” he added.

Tom continued: “For a long time, I still didn’t tell anyone about it. I was later diagnosed with bipolar. When I told my friend, Harry [Judd, the band’s drummer], he said: ‘Ahhh, that makes so much sense.”

The Voice repeat airs on Sunday (October 13) at 1:45pm on ITV1.