Rebecca Ferguson has bravely revealed she was sexually abused at the age of eight

Rebecca made the decision reveal what had happened to her during an appearance on 'Loose Women' on Wednesday (23.11.16) when she came on as a guest following a discussion about sexual abuse between panellists Lady Penny Lancaster-Stewart, Ruth Langsford, Linda Robson and Saira Khan.

Addressing Ruth's question about what she thought about their conversation, she said: "It was interesting because it is something I've been through myself as a child. I was abused when I was in a children's home. I've never said this before ... I was eight."

Ruth then said: "In a children's home? The very place where people are supposed to look after you. Did you tell anyone at the time?"

To which a visibly upset Rebecca replied: "I've never spoke about it, I told one friend and then today with you discussing the subject because I'm here talking about my website, I thought it's the perfect time to speak about it. What I'm trying to do is make a safe place where women can speak about their problems."

The musician - who was on the ITV show to talk about the website she has launched for single mothers and women to share their problems - admitted the abuse has affected her self-esteem throughout her adult life and took her years to get over.

The former 'X Factor' star said: "I think it affects a woman's esteem and it effects how you go on to be treated by men and what you expect to be treated like. I think if someone has taken advantage of you at a young age it's very hard to have strong self-esteem, it's took me years to build it up. It was something that I put to the back of my mind and made it so it wasn't there. You feel dirty like you've done something wrong."

Rebecca received a heartfelt round of applause from the studio audience for her brave decision to share her story, and was consoled by Saira and Penny, who had both shared their own stories of being sexually abused as youngsters on the programme previously and again with the singer.