Nicola McLean claims she was sexually assaulted by her masseur

Nicola shared: "I've seen all the statistics about domestic ¬violence and abuse going up during lockdown.

"I felt like I couldn't escape that day and I can't imagine being in that situation day after day, feeling like you can't get away. I want to say to anyone out there being abused - you can escape."

The TV star admitted she's been "deeply" affected by the alleged incident, revealing it's created trust issues for her.

Speaking to The Sun newspaper, she explained: "I've had nightmares, I trust people less now.

"I've spoken about my anxiety and eating disorders before and this has added to everything. There have been times when I felt it was my fault or, 'Why me?'

"When I've felt overwhelmed, I've starved myself or binged and thrown up, and that's sad because I've worked hard to overcome my eating disorders."

Nicola says her husband Tom Williams - who was in the US when the alleged incident occurred - has been a hugely supportive influence in recent months.

She said: "Tom was very supportive. He felt horrendous being so far away but he was really brilliant. I told him I didn't want to talk about it again."

Nicola - who has two sons, Rocky and Striker, with Tom - also revealed she's moved house because she didn't want to be reminded of the ordeal.

She explained: "I wouldn't have been able to stay there. I won't allow anyone into my home now if I'm on my own."