Tragic secret behind The Nanny star Fran Drescher's slim figure

Fran Drescher's striking looks and bold outfits turned heads when she starred on the '90s sitcom The Nanny.

The 60-year-old modelled some of the decade's most amazing designer creations while on the show.

But according to the actress, her much-admired slender frame was due to post-traumatic stress, the Daily Mail reports.

Drescher, who in 1985 was raped at gunpoint during a harrowing home invasion blamed that incident on part of the reason why she had PTSD and was so skinny.

"I'd been the victim of a violent crime about 10 years before The Nanny, and I hadn't really dealt with that," she said during a discussion at NYC's The Wing.

"I had to deal with it once I became famous and it came out, though — thank God I was in therapy! Honestly, I just loved going to work and being Fran Fine, because she was nothing but funny and light, and my life was kind of a mess. I think that was part of why I was so thin."

The brunette beauty added, "I look back at some of those episodes, and I remember what was going on behind the scenes, and it wasn't pretty. When I sold the show [in 1993], I was 142 pounds — and by the time we were in our fifth season, I was maybe 110 pounds. I was burning the candle at both ends."

Today, having returned to a healthy weight and defeated uterine cancer, Drescher said she's all about "honouring my body," and doesn't miss her old physique.

The actress managed to keep some pieces from the show's wardrobe but they don't look nice on her now.

"Most of them don't fit anymore. And I'm really okay with that. I couldn't be that thin anymore and still look good."

Nanny fans were excited when Drescher had teased a reboot in early June. But, she shut down rumours of a revival during her chat.

"It's not true," the cancer survivor confirmed.

"I mean, never say never, but what I said was: Peter [Marc Jacobson, Drescher's ex-husband and The Nanny co-creator] and I are working on a very exciting project that I think the fans will be very happy with — when we're ready to announce it."

She said that because The Nanny ended with her character marrying her wealthy boss, Mr. Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy), a reboot would have to involve major structural changes and is nearly impossible to recreate.

"I'm not looking to revisit Fran Fine because, first of all, it wouldn't be the same show. It can't be The Nanny — I'm Mrs. Sheffield now!" she said.

This article was first published on Daily Mail and is republished here with permission.