Halliwell hails Williams over her bulimia battle

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Former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell broke down on television as she described how Robbie Williams rescued her from an eating disorder.

Halliwell, 37, said the ex-Take That star "possibly" saved her life by persuading her to book in to a clinic in the US for treatment for bulimia.

"I was worried I'd get fat. I would binge and then felt fatter and would make myself sick. It was awful," she said.

The singer wept in front of a studio audience on Piers Morgan's Life Stories as she recalled how her weight plummeted after she left the pop group in 1998.

She said: "Robbie knew about my bulimia and he advised me to get help. He told me to go into rehab and that possibly saved my life.

"The bulimia would have got worse without it. I will always be grateful to him, always."

She went on: "I became really close to Robbie after leaving the Spice Girls and it was a very poignant friendship.

"I was lonely and felt he was the only person on the planet who could understand me because of his experiences with Take That. We understood each other.

"But I didn't really go out with him. I am happy and healthy now."

Piers Morgan's Life Stories will be screened on ITV1 on 3 April.