Stephanie Waring on Her Decades-Long Battle with Bulimia

Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring discussed being stuck in an ‘endless loop’ with bulimia during her decades-long battle. 

The actress, 47, who played Cindy Cunningham on the soap, has struggled with the eating disorder since she was a teenager.

She opens up about her experience in her new memoir Breaking the Script and further explained bulimia during an appearance on Girls Next Door Podcast. 

Speaking to hosts Wallis Day and Francesca Allen, Stephanie said: ‘With bulimia your body is fighting for something and a lot of the time that’s food so if your restricting something you end up binging out

‘You could be having the best day ever then you might find yourself home alone and you might grab something to eat and if it’s out of your window or your plan or something it’s like a trigger almost.

‘Your body is craving so much food but then you have to get rid of it all because there is this guilt.’  

Hollyoaks star Stephanie Waring discussed being stuck in an ‘endless loop’ with bulimia during her decades-long battle

The actress, 47, who played Cindy Cunningham on the soap, has struggled with the eating disorder since she was a teenager

Stephanie continued: ‘I feel like it’s the control aspect but your body is trying to survive all the time and when you don’t give it balance it’s trying to reach for the nearest thing and more  often tan not it’s sugar, it’s glucose. 

‘All the sweet things come into play and that’s how you lose yourself that’s how you get trapped in this cycle loop and it’s really hard to get out of.’

It comes as Stephanie recalled ‘hysterically crying, shaking and begging’ when she was sacked from Hollyoaks.

The actress starred in the Cheshire soap on Channel 4 for 28 years from 1996 to 2024.

Hollyoaks was hit by stringent budget cuts last year and cut down from five to three instalments a week, letting go of staff too.

Stephanie’s character, Cindy Cunningham, was axed by bosses and she has delved into how she reacted in her book, Breaking The Script.

She recalled how she had a meeting with two producers who broke the news to her by reading a written statement. 

The actress described how she struggled to process what was being said to her and as it sank in, she felt emotional at the departure of her beloved character.

She opens up about her experience in her new memoir Breaking the Script and further explained bulimia during an appearance on Girls Next Door Podcast

She said: ‘That’s how you lose yourself that’s how you get trapped in this cycle loop and it’s really hard to get out of’ 

She wrote, ‘But as the statement neared its close, before the final words were even spoken, I felt a tear roll down my cheek. I was shaking as I looked at the two of them.’

‘Then it happened. ‘And with that said, we will be losing Cindy from the show. I’m so sorry, Steph.’ The world stopped for a second as I replayed those words in my head. Then… I lost my s***.’

She was particularly heartbroken that her staple character would not be featuring in the big anniversary special. 

Stephanie went on to write, ‘What? No! You mean you’re not taking me to the 30th?’ I blurted out, referencing the upcoming anniversary of the show – a milestone that meant so much to the long-standing cast.

‘I don’t understand. No, I don’t understand. I don’t understand!’ I was frantic. ‘But I’ve been so loyal. Please, no. This is my life. I love my job – please, no!’

She described how she was ‘hysterically crying’ and added: ‘I repeated myself, hoping one of them would see my distress and take it all back. Had they made a mistake? My world felt like it was imploding.’

Elsewhere, Stephanie’s Hollyoaks character, Cindy Cunningham, was recently axed by bosses and the star has delved into how she reacted in her book, Breaking The Script 

She described how she struggled to process what was being said to her and as it sank in, she felt emotional at the departure of her beloved character 

Stephanie was particularly heartbroken that her staple character would not be featuring in the big anniversary special 

She signed her new contract which started from April 27 and her character departed in July. 

However, the short notice made her feel like she ‘had swallowed a grenade’ and she admitted to ‘a few expletives rolling off my tongue like bullets’.

Afterwards, she ran out of the room and found comfort from Kirsty Leigh Porter and Jennifer Metcalfe, who starred as Leela Dexter and Mercedes McQueen in the show.

Since leaving the soap, Stephanie has gone on to become a ‘certified mind-body coach’, according to her social media. 

Her new book, Breaking The Script, was released in June.