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Fearne Cotton knew first engagement was over after seeing Prince William wed Kate Middleton

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 29: Fearne Cotton attends the Virgin Money Giving Mind Media Awards 2018 at Queen Elizabeth Hall on November 29, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Fearne Cotton attends the Virgin Money Giving Mind Media Awards 2018 at Queen Elizabeth Hall on November 29, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

Presenter Fearne Cotton says she knew her relationship to her former fiancé wasn't going to work out after seeing Prince William wed Kate Middleton in 2011.

The 38-year-old was formerly engaged to skateboarder Jesse Jenkins, but the relationship "imploded" after the royal wedding, which Cotton covered for the BBC, where she realised it "wasn't going to happen" for her.

Speaking on Elizabeth Day's How To Fail podcast, Cotton shared: "It was such a beautiful thing watching them get married. I mean I was there doing all the reporting.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JANUARY 13:  TRH Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on the balcony at Buckingham Palace with Bridesmaids Margarita Armstrong-Jones (Right) And Grace Van Cutsem (Left), following their wedding at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011 in London, England.     (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. (Photo by Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty Images)

"I was right outside the palace gates watching it all take place, and it started to hit home that it wasn't going to happen for me. And it was pretty much straight after that, that it all just imploded."

Read more: Fearne Cotton has not driven on a motorway for two years since panic attack

She also told of how the couple had booked a venue for their nuptials ahead of cancelling the wedding.

Fearne Cotton and boyfriend Jesse Jenkins arriving at the European Premiere of Stardust, Odeon Cinema, Leicester Square, London.
Fearne Cotton and former boyfriend Jesse Jenkins. (PA)

The mother-of-two remarked: "We all try and control things and grab hold of that and think if I map out my future I'll be safe - I won't have to deal with failure... the engagement ended. It was a weird life shake up that I hadn't really expected."

Cotton went on to wed Jesse Wood in 2014, with the pair sharing two children, son Rex, six, and daughter Honey, four.

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 25: Jesse Wood (L) and Fearne Cotton attend as Fearne Cotton celebrates her new collaboration with Cath Kidston at the Vinyl Factory on October 25, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Gerrish/WireImage)
Jesse Wood (L) and Fearne Cotton attend as Fearne Cotton celebrates her new collaboration with Cath Kidston at the Vinyl Factory on October 25, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Gerrish/WireImage)

Meanwhile, the presenter publicly opened up about her battle with bulimia for the first time on the podcast.

She said: “At the beginning of my twenties, it was quite intense and sort of ruled everything.

“In my later twenties, it was a bad habit I would kick into if something emotional was happening or if I felt out of control.”

However, Cotton explained that she has now recovered after suffering with the "intense" eating disorder "on and off" for 10 years.

Watch the latest episode from Yahoo UK's The Royal Story