Katharine's Secret Struggle

Katharine McPhee: Click to watchThe "American Idol" contestant opens up about her struggle with bulimia in an interview with sister and "EXTRA" guest correspondent Adriana McPhee. After building up the courage to tell her mother about her eating disorder, Katharine joined a program, which she says was overwhelming.

"I remember the first day, my first meal when I sat down with the other girls, I cried at the table," she said, "It was just like going face to face and seeing all the other girls struggling at the table and seeing myself actually wanting to eat as fast as I could to get out of there."

Now that she's fully recovered and back on the "Idol" tour, McPhee is happy to be seen as a role model to those in similar situations.

"If I can help somebody, you know, get help and go work on their eating disorder, that's great. If I can cheer up somebody by going to a concert one night, that's great. That's what I'm in it for." And the best part to McPhee - "I feel like I can eat whatever I want."

Filed under: TV, Music, American Idol

Reader Comments

(Page 3 of 9)Previous 15 Comments | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

31. SHE IS BEAUTIFUL AND TALENTED AND I WISH HER WELL -- FORTUNATELY, THE BETTER PERFORMER WON AND I WAS VERY PLEASED. I STILL WISH HER GOOD LUCK IN HER FUTURE ENDEAVORS. COME ON PEOPLE, IT DOESN'T ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING TO BE SO UNKIND AND HURTFUL.

Posted at 8:48PM on Jul 30th 2006 by JME

32. This girl will do anything to grab the spotlight. She waits till just the right moment to come up with some c... that will grab the attention of the media. Who, by the way, need to remember that she did not win, heaven forbid!! The media should concentrate on the other Idol contestants; those who are honoring their commitments to the show and who don't go around trying to garner all the publicity for themselves. Isn't there a claus in their contracts that boots them if they fail to fulfill all the requirements?

Posted at 8:49PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Marsha Matthews

33. I can't say that Kat is ugly Because she is not or not talented because she is . The thing that she is , that is not so good, is fake. I guess America wanted some one real this time and that is the primary reason Taylor won. He is real, as real as the boy next door and he is a great performer. When Taylor and Kat were on shows together she couldn't keep her mouth shut long enough to let poor Taylor get a word in at all. Maybe she needs to take some lessons from him regarding his manners and the class act he is. If Kat would start feeling her music it might just get better. That is another lesson she could learn from Taylor.

Posted at 8:52PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Cindy

34. Katherine is very blessed as my sister was 24 when she died in her sleep when her heart stopped. My sister was the victim of bulemia. We didn't know then but we know much more now and I hope that some young person reads this and knows that they need to get help before their life is taken.

Posted at 8:57PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Lori

35. Please make her go away!!!

Posted at 9:02PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Deena

36. She didn't win now she wants Attention !

Posted at 9:06PM on Jul 30th 2006 by CJ

37. Boo-hoo-hoo....I'm the new cover girl for the starving puking young girls of today....GET OVER IT!

Posted at 9:10PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Cynthia

38. OMG...enough. Her publicist is the really talented one here! He or she has managed to keep this girl in the spotlight and always the "exception" to every rule. It is just AMAZING that she has been TOO SICK to be a part of the tour, but guest hosted and SANG on THE VIEW the day she MISSED her flight to perform and then MIRACULOUSLY made it to DC the next day to join the tourJUST IN TIME to meet the President. What a self congratulatory DIVA! Let's milk your 15 minutes of fame for all it's worth Katherine--you are NO Kelly Clarkson and aside from a potential modeling career, you just aren't that special I can't wait for the next American Idol series so everyone forgets you too. ENOUGH!!!!!

Posted at 9:18PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Erin

39. ok ahhh who caressssssss i am tired of hearing about her..

Posted at 9:23PM on Jul 30th 2006 by rosie

40. Is anyone really buying this? Seriously? This is just a bunch of bull-hunk publicity, just like the Timberlake and "Ive done too many drugs," garbage. 14:59; the clock is ticking.

Posted at 9:25PM on Jul 30th 2006 by jcs

41. I liked her up until her and The winner of Idol went on Larry King Live. She talked bad about Simon not realizing Simon was the one that said Over the Rainbow was made for her and got her in the final 2. She was cutting off the Gray haired guy in midsentence more then once to keep HER in the spotlight and not the Gray haired winne . She is a fake . phony and wants center stage ALL the time . WHO CARES about her eating habits theres a war going on . Get a real life , and PLEASE join Big Brother so you can be the First one voted out ( i checked with 7 different people to find out if it was ME that she IRRATED so much after Idol ende but those other 7 ALL agreed with me )

Posted at 9:37PM on Jul 30th 2006 by mike

42. I am NOT a huge fan of Kat, but I do not think it's necessary for everyone to criticize everything about her from her singing voice to her looks to whether or not she is being honest with the public. It seems to me that the critical people not only have way too much time on their hands, they also appearantly don't like themselves very much or they wouldn't feel the need to put down a total stranger. Obviously quite a few people thought she was pretty good at the time she was on Idol or she never would have made it as far as she did on the show.

Posted at 9:38PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Taylor Fan

43. Ok, I dont like her and to me, all she wants is the attention.... And her performance on the View was so bad, she just needs to realize that having that disorder means she needs to take care of herself before she goes into what she wants as a "career". Maybe in like 10 years could she be capable to be in the music and acting career....

Posted at 9:38PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Leigh

44. She's beautiful and has a great voice, but I think she's full of herself. She's lacking personality which some of the others had and it's a shame they didn't get as far as she did.

Posted at 9:43PM on Jul 30th 2006 by vel owens

45. It looks to me like we have some people that don't have McPhever. If you don't like her, that's fine. Everyone has an opion, they're like A-holes. Everybody's got one. I'm a guy and I think she's beautiful with the voice of an angel. Some people (Vicki) needs to listen to their own words, look into the mirror to see their self and fade away in the dust. Sounds to me like a jealous little girl that has no maturity at all.... and probably no talent.....LOL

Posted at 9:47PM on Jul 30th 2006 by Rick

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