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4 comments from readers

smokey_wombat
13 August 2008 at 21:52

I was one of the ladies on that show.

I feel your comments were patronising to say the least!

If you think this show was just an excuse to parade the fatties to the nation as some sort of a freak show or to gain some sympathy just because I'm over weight then you are mistaken.

Regardless of what T&S (or Gok's) motivation for these programmes is, the fact of the matter was with this particular show we were trying to make a serious point.

After you reach size 18 about 80% of the high-street is off limits to you and it’s not fair. I know that it’s unhealthy, against government policy and not ideal but at the end of the day people ARE over size 18 and we shouldn’t be treated at freaks by designers and the high-street. In an ideal world everyone would all be size 10s but the reality is different.

I have remained close with the other ladies on the show and through them we have ALL gained confidence and a new outlook on life. We were not ‘flattered and coerced’ into anything. None of us were happy about the bra and pants thing but at the end of the day we did not have to do it but we all felt it was important to make the point we do have a shape which is hidden like a shameful secret by shops who supply us with tents.

How dare you say that ‘thanks to Trinny and Susannah we've learnt not to tease the obese but be lovely to them and put them nearly naked on national TV.’ I find that so patronising it’s made me angry as it insinuates that the other ladies and I do not have the sense to know that we would be portrayed in a certain way. It’s very easy if you are ‘the norm’ to say things like that but I would challenge you to put on a ‘fat suit’ the way T&S did and try and find an outfit.

Lets face it no matter how you put it society is biased towards the smaller lady - look in any magazine or in any of the big high street brands and you'll see what I mean. 'Fatties' are already paraded around as being freaks of nature - Look at any of the shows such as the 1 Tonne Man, Too fat to Toddle, Celebrity Fat club - At the precise moment I'm typing this there is the biggest loser on TV! Larger people are already paraded on TV as something to ogle at, an exhibition, an object of fun 'Oooo look at the fat person!' Whereas thinner people are seen as something to aspire to - This is how you could look, Oooo look at these clothes, new celebrity diet, look like your favourite star in a week! i know about the pressure to be thin, I've seen it first hand with an anorexic sister. Larger people are already seen as freaks and what is not helping is people like you assuming we are also stupid for agreeing to go on TV and show people we have a shape and clothes can be made to fit us rather than hide us!

mumsrgreat
14 August 2008 at 10:53

Hi I too took part in the show. Lets face it, its not everyones first choice to stand in your bra and knickers in front of the nation, but for goodness sake - other than having a bit of extra flesh, we've all got the same bits and bobs as everyone else, and after having 3 children I've virtually no shame left!! We weren't pressured to do anything, we had fun - all girls together - enjoying dressing up, having clothes made for us, hair and make up done etc. Of course the show has to have a bit of the dramatic about it - marching bands, carnivals, boob lifting and the like - but its light hearted fun - thats why we enjoyed taking part and its why a lot of people like watching the show! Its not everyone's goal to lose weight, but I admit it is mine. I had already lost 4 stones by the time I took part in the show - I've still got another 4 to go. I'm overweight - on my way to being a healthy weight, but being part of the show has helped me be happier about being myself until I get to my goal. I feel happier and more confident in myself now than I did before. Trinny and Susannah were lovely to us all throughout, very normal, not patronising and not at all prima donna-ish. Off camera, they are just a lovely couple of girls who enjoy dressing up, and they enjoy dressing other people up too. We all - without exception - had a wonderful time - you only saw 10% of what we did and the cast and crew treated us wonderfully throughout. We were not flattered or cojoled, we were treated fantastically and with respect - unlike the comments from Mr Davies - whose patronising superior air indicates that he has completely missed the point. (As far as Trinny and Susannah remaining fully dressed - didn't you see the Great British Body or last weeks bottom show??) If you don't like the show - don't watch it, but don't make small minded assumptions about plus size/larger/obese/fat people (or anyone else for that matter). Each of us who took part in the show came from different backgrounds, but are all well educated women with responsible jobs and lives. Mr Davies is treating us as the sterotype that he has in his head, and it makes him sound very small.

Reginald
16 October 2008 at 16:11

My opinion, show like this should be taken of air! I have banned my wife from watching shows like that. She comes over all funny and stops eating. All day she asking the servants whether she a 'fatty' or not.

anomalous
18 November 2008 at 08:32

I cannot begin to express just how much i dislike these modern day fashion nazis, i find it amusing that they create these shows to 'love' the body you are in and spend the whole time promoting their own products, which by the way are all designed to change the shape of such beautiful bodies, from waist cinchers, to boob busters and so on.

It is just a forum for comedy passed off as a lesson in acceptance, roll out these saggy breasted women who are almost throwing up at the thought of looking at themselves in the mirror, poke, prod and fondle them, then parade them down catwalks in shopping centres.

But neither of these shows comes close to the modern day Himmler that is Nicky Hambleton Jones, hacking away at the bodies of women to make them an approximation of what she sees as suitable for their age.

Has anyone ever noticed that any small piece of originality that these women and occasionally men possess is stripped away and replaced with boot leg jeans and kitten heels?

It is just an insidious form of reality television that makes me wonder, exactly what are our television producers doing with their time?