Calista Flockhart has admitted for the first time she did have an eating disorder when she starred in 'Ally McBeal'.

The 40-year-old beauty has confessed she didn't eat enough while appearing in the series because she felt under so much pressure. Calista told Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "At the time of all that, I was seriously stressed.

"I was working 15-hour days on the set and then I was dealing with the end of the show, which was basically my life. "I started under-eating, over-exercising, pushing myself too hard and brutalising my immune system."

At the height of her fame in the late 90s, Calista repeatedly denied suffering from anorexia. The 5ft 5ins star allowed her weight to plunge to under seven stone at one point and shocked fans with her gaunt appearance at the Emmy Awards in 1998. The following year, fears over her health were sparked again after she collapsed on the set of her series.

But Calista, who is romancing Hollywood legend Harrison Ford, insists she takes much better care of herself these days. She said: "I just didn't find time to eat. I am much more healthy these days."