Pinned to the top of Abigail Davies’ X feed is a video of an impassioned speech from Jeff Stelling.

In one of his final appearances as the host of Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday show in May 2023, Stelling used his platform to highlight the “national disgrace” of the then-Conservative Government’s lack of funding and awareness of eating disorders, which take more lives than any other mental illness.

Stelling was motivated to raise the issue by colleague Davies. The darts, snooker and football reporter has suffered from anorexia since childhood and almost took her own life as a result. Davies was touched by her idol’s intervention.

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Being taken to watch her beloved Swansea City by her uncle as a youngster and watching Soccer Saturday played an important part in Davies “discovering who I was before anorexia”.

“When I was in my hospital bed on a psychiatric ward, I’d write match reports, just for myself. It was that dream of hearing him throw to me at a game that I was clinging to,” says the 33-year-old.

“To not only realise that dream but to have your sporting idol be passionate about the other cause that is so close to your heart meant everything to me.”

There is still so much to do to help eating disorder sufferers get the help they need, and Davies is determined to use her own experience and platform to help. “Aside from my love of sport, the biggest passion in my life is fighting for mental health equality,” she declares.

“I’m continuing the campaign and fight for better access to treatment. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. Yet, people living with eating disorders are constantly let down.

“I almost lost my life on a number of occasions and, unfortunately, have lost friends who were battling anorexia. It’s an illness which makes you feel unworthy and a burden.

“Those feelings are reinforced by the shoddy, and for some non-existent, help available. I know what it’s like to reach a point of hopelessness and emptiness, to the point where I’ve tried to end things.”

Davies relapsed last year, almost spending time in hospital before the 2024 World Darts Championship. Fresh from the 2025 event, which saw her commentate as well as report, she is in a better place while accepting anorexia is an illness she will have to manage for the rest of her life.

Davies has already gone to Parliament as part of her work with the Dump the Scales initiative, headed by mental health campaigner Hope Virgo, who is striving to raise awareness of the thousands of people with eating disorders who are missing out on treatment and support.

“We’ve been to Parliament to try and make eating disorders more of a priority, to gain more funding, improve access to treatment and re-enforce the message that early intervention is key,” says Davies.

Shockingly, in her youth, she was denied treatment because her weight wasn’t low enough, while some sufferers are now being offered palliative care. “I was told to return once I’d lost more weight which resulted in me almost dying, both from attempted suicide and my body shutting down because of organs failing,” she recalls.

“That’s why I believe I will live with anorexia for the rest of my life. I relapsed last year and just avoided another hospital admission. When I had treatment, it was a stark realisation that access to treatment hasn’t come on that much since I initially needed it when I was 12/13.

“I went to my GP and told him I’d lost my period and that my body was shutting down. He just laughed and said, ‘you sure you’re not pregnant?’

“I was lucky enough to be able to go private last year. I was brought up in a very working-class family and we wouldn’t have been able to go private back then. There are so many people in that same position, and they’re left to fend for themselves and live with this devastating illness until they are a severe risk.

“Now palliative care is being offered to eating disorder sufferers. It’s goes from, ‘you’re not ill enough to receive treatment’ to ‘you’re now too ill to receive treatment so we’ll give you palliative care’. I find it distressing that it’s been offered.

“Had that been the case when I was at my worst, I wouldn’t be here now because I would have taken it. It’s an illness that grinds you down and makes you feel completely worthless. So I would have taken it when I was in my darkest days.

“Eating disorders have been pushed to one side for too long. We’re fighting to make sure more lives aren’t lost and so people can regain a quality of life a lot sooner and not go through the trauma that many of us have experienced.

“I know it’s a cliché but if I can help just one person and improve the level of compassion and care offered to people with eating disorders, it would mean more than one day seeing Jonny Clayton lift the World Championship trophy!”

If you're struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch.