Bulimic John Prescott's secret Big Mac binges

Bulimic John Prescott used to gorge on Big Macs after attending lavish five-course state banquets.

The former Deputy Premier's late-night binge-eating emerged after he bravely admitted to battling bulimia for nearly 20 years.

A friend said: "He'd go to these state banquets with four or five courses, then nip over to McDonald's. It was pretty extraordinary. Anybody who knew him knew there was a problem with his eating habits." Mr Prescott, 69, told how he would gorge himself, then make himself sick. He said: "It was stress. I'd stuff my face with anything around." The MP, who recovered from his illness more than a year ago, is now backing an NHS campaign to raise awareness of eating disorders.

Urging sufferers to take advice, he said yesterday: "Seek the help I did."