She’s a girl after our own heart.

Felicity Hayward, the renowned body-positive activist and social media sensation is challenging society’s warped body standards in Channel 4’s new show, Naked Beach. Stripping off with just body paint to cover her modesty, Felicity is on a quest to boost people’s body image and prove your worth is not defined by your dress size.

At a time when we are bombarded with unrealistic body standards online, Felicity's unapologetic honesty is the perfect antidote: “It’s important to portray the real me, the one who eats tacos on a Friday night”. Now that’s a girl after our own heart!

Here, Felicity caught up with GLAMOUR to discuss body confidence, role models and why the perfect body does not exist.

We need to stop listening to the media’s absurd views on body image because the perfect body does not exist

I wanted to get involved with The Naked Beach because the whole idea of it really resonates with me. I run a body positive movement called Self Love Brings Beauty and everything it stands for is mirrored in the show. The whole idea of embracing your naked body and putting yourself out there is an extension of everything I believe in. It is all about self-love, understanding your worth and knowing you deserve to be happy. A lot of people preach about body positivity online but they still use photoshop and heavily edit their images so I feel it’s important to portray the real me, the one who eats tacos on a Friday night. You are exposing yourself on a huge platform but it ensures everyone sees the real me.

Being naked all day was so empowering and liberating

No one is born with confidence. Self-love and body confidence is a journey. Even for someone who is confident about their body, the idea of bearing all and being naked on TV is daunting. As the show was a real scientific study, the contributors never once saw us in clothes. It’s not a gimmick, it’s the real deal. I’m used to showing a lot of skin on camera but to be fully naked all day was so empowering. I felt so free and liberated, so much so that when we had to time off, we didn’t want to put our clothes back on.

I use clothing as a weapon to make a strong statement, not as a layer to cover myself

When I was younger, I used to use clothing as armor. I grew up in a very small town and I was a bit of a weirdo at school. I know back then I definitely used clothing as armor but since I’ve grown older and become more body confident, I use clothing as a weapon. I now dress to make a strong statement, not as a layer to cover myself. I’m confident enough to peel off those layers and embrace my body.

When I was growing up, plus-sized women on TV were always cast as the fat funny one, not the sexy one

I’ve always had a big bum and big thighs. Back then, it was Britney and Christina who were the poster girls and I remember the only person you would ever see with my body shape would be in the gossip magazines shamed for gaining weight. There used to be no role models for bigger girls. If there was anyone on TV, say, Dawn French, she was always the fat funny one, not the sexy one.

Women tell me it’s not acceptable to show my body online

I got a message from a woman who said it wasn’t acceptable for me to show my body online in the way I choose to. She was basically saying what I was doing was damaging children’s views but it’s the exact opposite. You don’t like my body because you think fat bodies are wrong but the national average in the UK is a size 16. I’m a size 18-20 which isn’t too far off the average and yet women are telling me my body shouldn’t be seen by children. I’m showing myself in a happy, liberated light with back rolls, cellulite and stretch marks. The people who are trolling me are people who can’t handle their insecurities so they project it onto other people. If I carry on being 100% my authentic self and loving my body, there wouldn’t be any change. You have to fight the battle because one day hopefully those trolls will change their views.

The perfect body does not exist

I always say you have to understand the perfect body does not exist. There are no two people on this planet that are the same. You’ve got to aspire to be the best version of yourself and not someone else. 

I would love the day to come where we focus on women’s talents rather than their dress size

Body positivity needs to become normal. It would be great if the conversation didn’t have to happen at all. The body positivity conversation is only ever directed at women and we’re always the ones being teared down. You look at Donald Trump or James Corden, no one is fat shaming them and they’re on the cover of magazines. These men are just as plus sized than many females plus sized icons but the conversation is not addressed to them. They’re just seen as funny, powerful and attractive – maybe not so much Trump – but women are not. I would love the day to come where we focus on women themselves, their talents and personalities, not their dress size.

courtesy: glamour magazine