Portia De Rossi felt ''shame'' when she suffered from bulimia.

The 42-year-old actress - who is married to talk show host Ellen Degeneres - had a ''tremendous responsibility'' to stay slim when she began her modelling career, and developed an eating disorder as a result.

Speaking on an upcoming episode of docuseries 'It Got Better', she said: ''I felt tremendous responsibility when I was 12 years old and I was put on a catwalk.

''My modeling agents had told me to go on a diet. So I didn't eat for 10 days before then.

''I get up on this catwalk, and I'm a little kid, and I'm posing and trying to be sexy and strutting around and all the other models are making fun of my bushy eyebrows.

''I got in the car after that event, and just opened up a bag of my favourite candy and put my whole head in it. And I think, 'S**t, what have I done? I just undid two weeks worth of dieting.' I mean, I'm 12 years old.

''So then I vomit. Erase the feelings with food, erase the food by vomiting...but you're still left with the shame.''

And the 'Arrested Development' still feels ''emotional'' at the ''horrible'' memory.

She added: ''It makes me emotional just thinking about that day. Ugh. It's just horrible.''