'A BLUR'
EastEnders’ Clair Norris breaks down in tears as she reveals horrific bullying over her weight in Panorama documentary
EASTENDERS actress Clair Norris sobbed as she presented her first Panorama special tonight about the UK's obesity problem.
Clair, who plays Bernadette Taylor in the BBC soap, broke down in tears as she revealed she had been bullied over her weight.
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Clair struggled during a conversation about her childhood and being called names at school.
She returned to her primary school in Thamesmead, and reflected on how the other kids treated her.
Clair told the cameras: "This is probably where the name-calling would have happened I don’t say it’s bullying that’s my own personal thing.
"I don't remember specific names, I don't remember it clearly, but I suppose if it happens every day it just kinda blurs into one. My mum will remember more."
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She then sat down with her mother who said she used to brush off mean comments and thought it was normal to be called "chubby".
Her mum recalled: "You didn't even see it as bullying.
"It wasn't until other people pointed it out, and they were like 'but they're calling her this' and you were like, 'yeah they call me chubby but that is just their nickname for me'."
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Clair began to cry and her mother reached over to her, adding as she also choked up: "You never thought that was an issue and you thought it was OK for people to call you names, and you just accepted it."
Later, Clair spoke anout her weight and eating habits.
She said: "What I've discovered is that menatl health does play a big part and I don't think I even realised, it wasn't me just going home eating food, that wasn't me just eating it was me getting out my stress and my anger.
"Eat my feelings, eat my feelings, they'll go away."
Taking to Twitter following the emotional scenes, one viewer said: "Bullying is wrong, it is cruel."
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