The 7 celebs who aren't afraid to show off their 'real bodies'
FROM Instagram filters to Photoshop, many celebrities are guilty of touching up and airbrushing social media photos in a bid to achieve that flawless complexion or ‘dream’ body.
But it turns out there’s a new wave of famous trendsetters in town – and they’re ditching makeup and filters to flaunt their natural beauty instead.
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Proving that we’re all beautiful, no matter what our body shape, size or supposed ‘flaws,’ these natural beauties have all spoken candidly about everything from “painful” skin conditions to accepting cellulite.
From Stacey Solomon embracing her hairy body, to Vicky Pattison showing off her “squishy bits,” we take our hats off to these seven celebs for keeping it totally real…
STACEY SOLOMON
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While many of us splash the cash each year on waxing or pricey laser treatments in a bid to achieve a hairless body, there’s one celebrity going against the grain – Stacey Solomon.
The mum-of-five, who has previously voiced her struggle with trying to maintain a fuzz-free appearance since puberty, has spoken proudly about embracing her hairy legs, “lady garden” and “fuzzy chin.”
Speaking in her Fabulous column, she previously recalled how schools friends branded her “furry” and said that if pals were bothered by body hair then “they’re not worth knowing”.
Stacey, who believes she gets her “full hairy gene” from her Burmese grandfather, wrote: “So to all the women who think waxing, shaving and grooming is the bane of their life and wish they didn’t have to do it – you really DON’T. You really, really don’t.
“And if people don’t like you because you have normal body hair on your legs, they’re not worth knowing.”
The 33-year-old has continued to spread her message of body positivity over the years and has even hit back at bodyshamers in the best way possible – by sharing intimate details of her unkept body hair.
I love my hairy arms. Truth be told, I save an absolute fortune on thermals in winter thanks to these bad boys. Hail the hair!
Stacey Solomon
In one photo shared to Instagram, the former X Factor star, who has likened grooming to a “chore,” posted a snap of her hand to show off her new manicure to her fans.
But after receiving cruel comments about the amount of arm fuzz on show, the former I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! winner responded by declaring that she “loves” her hairy arms.
“I love my hairy arms,” she explained. “Truth be told, I save an absolute fortune on thermals in winter thanks to these bad boys. Hail the hair!”
In another post, Stacey, who has also shared snaps of her chin and baby bump fuzz, continued: “I can’t stop laughing at my arm hairs. Honestly they’d have an absolute heart attack if they saw my bush, need an electric trimmer to get through those.”
Speaking to The Sun’s Fabulous magazine, the down-to-earth TV favourite said: ‘I actually don’t see hairy anything on women these days. So when people are seeing a tiny bit of hair they’re like: “What the hell? She’s a monster!”
‘I’m not ashamed of my body hair, people being disgusted by it is ridiculous because it’s obviously meant to be there! When did people start getting offended by it?’
VICKY PATTISON
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While former Geordie Shore star Vicky Pattison used to be known for knocking back alcohol and necking on, she’s now a beacon of body positivity and can often be found calling out beauty standards online.
The reality star regularly shares candid photos of her body on Instagram – including one taken in a bikini which showed two different angles of her body.
“We have cellulite, we have lumps bumps, rolls, stretch marks, scars & all things in between..
“We are also all susceptible to Mother Nature, bloating, good angles & bad.. in short we are perfectly imperfect & all the more beautiful for it,” she penned.
In a further post, the 36-year-old could be seen flaunting her “squishy bits” as she posted a side-by-side photo wearing figure-hugging workout gear.
While one snap shows the TV star with her leggings over her stomach, the second shows her from the side, with her leggings pulled down to properly reveal her belly.
She penned: “This is NOT a ‘before & after’ pic.
“Both these pictures are an accurate representation of what I look like taken minutes apart.
“Both of these pictures are perfectly showing a healthy, happy & strong woman & it is important we acknowledge that.”
Forget filters or good angles: You are all beautiful – remember that
Vicky Pattison
The Loose Women presenter went on to explain how she was insecure about her body when she was growing up – adding that it was only when she reached her 30s that she finally “addressed it.”
“I hated my squishy bits, my cellulite, my so called ‘flaws’..I’d even go as far as to say I hated my curves,” she recalled.
“And looking back it was easy to see why.
“Normal women, real women, women filled with perfect imperfections were WILDLY unrepresented in the press & media when I was growing up & I started to believe that if I wanted to be considered beautiful or attractive that I had to look like the women I saw in the magazines or on TV.”
By posting the side-by-side photo, Vicky hoped it’d remind her social media followers that “all bodies are beautiful.”
“I’m also telling you that not everything is as it seems- especially on social media,” she added.
“Forget filters or good angles: You are all beautiful – remember that.”
JESS WRIGHT
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The 38-year-old has been praised by her social media followers for bravely opening up about her “real skin.”
Jess first revealed she suffers with Psoriasis – a condition which, according to the NHS, caused red, flaky, crusty patches of skin covered with silvery scales – when she begged her social media followers for a “miracle cure.”
The former TOWIE star, who said the skin condition had got increasingly worse since becoming a mum to son Presley in May 2022, shared photos showing the “painful” flareups on her arms, legs and face.
Alongside the images, she penned: “A very different post to my last one… it’s taken me a while to get the courage to post this but ultimately, it is what it is.
“My psoriasis has taken a turn for the worse since having a baby & I wanted to share it for anyone else suffering with it, in the hope it might make you feel less alone with it / we may be able to help each other eventually with remedies.
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“I spend my days covering up my arms, and now unfortunately my legs & face are pretty bad too & I’m bloody sick of it.
“I have tried so many things in the past but I feel like it’s auto immune so ultimately it’s what we put into our bodies.
“If anyone has a miracle cure please let me know.”
In August 2023, Jess shared another photo showing a flare-up on her arm and wrote: “In so much pain with this.
“Am sooo over it. F**k you psoriasis. Not even sorry for my language.”
But just last week, Jess shared a much more positive health update and credited a gut health supplement for helping to ease her symptoms.
She penned: “As many of you may know, I have psoriasis, which causes redness & itchiness of the skin.
“I have been taking @AxisBiotix for a few months now and it’s really helped manage my symptoms. AxisBiotix-Ps is a supplement which helps support the skin from within.
“It’s made up of a specific blend of live bacteria specifically selected to support gut health, which in turn, supports skin health.”
PAMELA ANDERSON
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While many of us know Pamela Anderson for THAT red Baywatch swimming costume or looking glam in heavy makeup, she’s recently started embracing a whole new natural look – and we’re totally here for it!
The 56-year-old made headlines when she turned up at Paris Fashion Week totally bare-faced, explaining that she wanted to “go against the grain and do the opposite of what everyone’s doing.”
The mum-of-two, who admits she’s the “happiest” she’s ever been in her own skin, explained to Vogue France: “I didn’t come to Paris Fashion Week and think, ‘I’m not going to wear any make-up.’
I think I’m happiest I’ve ever been in my own skin – it’s what’s inside the clothes that counts and I think beauty does come from within
Pamela Anderson
“Something just came over me and I was dressing these beautiful clothes and I thought, ‘I don’t want to compete with the clothes.’
“I’m not trying to be the prettiest girl in the room, I feel like it’s just freedom. It’s like a relief.”
However, the former Baywatch star did confess that she sometimes asks herself whether it was the right decision.
Speaking on how she deals with such intrusive thoughts, she said: “I think, ‘what am I worried about?’ Am I worried about what people think about how I look?
“I thought, ‘this is the time for me to be probably a little bit rebellious.
“So I am just being me and who I am. I think I’m happiest I’ve ever been in my own skin – it’s what’s inside the clothes that counts and I think beauty does come from within.”
KERRY KATONA
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Kerry Katona was flooded with compliments after showing off her “real, unedited body” following her impressive three-stone weight loss.
While holidaying in sunny Marbella, the 43-year-old shared an untouched photo where she could be seen posing in a black bikini.
Alongside the snap, she penned: “It’s getting there!!!!! Who’s up for joining me on @mfitisback???????
“Did another great workout this morning @maya_del_sol_property_group doesn’t matter where you are in the world @mfitisback can be done ANYWHERE, ANYTIME!!
Yes I have stretchmarks. Yes I have cellulite, but they are all signatures from my five babies that I grew inside of me
Kerry Katona
“Come people let’s kick some a***!!! Who’s with me?????”
In another snap, Kerry happy showed off her “lumps and bumps” in a navy blue bikini – adding that she “welcomes” nasty comments from trolls because she’s content in her own skin.
As she grinned for the camera from her sun lounger, Kerry wrote: “Lumps and bumps!!!! But it’s getting there!!!! I’m 43 people not 23!!!! Getting myself back into shape is bloody hard!! Especially the older you get!
“But remember people, it’s about how you feel on the inside a healthy mind is a healthy life and exercise is the key!!!”
“Yes I have stretchmarks. Yes I have cellulite, but they are all signatures from my five babies that I grew inside of me,” she continued.
“Say your nasty comments leave your vile insults. I welcome them because no one is perfect.
“I certainly know I’m not but I’m happy and I’ll continue to better myself and to do that you’ve gonna take that step into who you wanna be! And I wanna be the best version I can be of myself.”
NADIA SAWHALA
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Nadia Sawalha, who used to be “utterly ashamed” of her legs, has been inundated with praise after sharing candid posts about her body with her Instagram followers.
In one video, which was first shared in 2019, the 59-year-old, who spent years yo-yo dieting, could be seen shaking her cellulite as she slammed what she referred to as “diet culture b******s”.
Alongside the clip, the former EastEnders star wrote: “UNASHAMEDLY MY CELLULITE ! ALL MINE !!!”
She went on to say that prior to posting the recording, she’d been ashamed of her cellulite.
Nadia, who now favours “intuitive eating” — an approach to food that rejects diets, meal plans and willpower – continued: “How 🦆ING ridiculous is that!!! ASHAMED of dimples?????
“The reason I’m re-posting this today is because I’m really 🦆ING angry about all the fake a** air brushed over lit, photos all over social media at the moment promoting diet culture bs !
“Messing with women’s minds! Messing with our daughters minds!!”
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The Loose Women presenter, who is keen to set a body positive example for her two daughters, Maddy and Kiki, also recalled how her perception of herself has changed from when she was in the twenties.
“My life has been plagued, from about, I don’t know, late twenties/thirties, when I started to get cellulite, I did get it a bit later, and before that it was my boobs, my boobs were too big,” she said, speaking on her podcast Confessions of a Modern Parent.
“And before that my arms were too wide and then cellulite took over and I spent my life shuffling around and trying not to be seen because of what?
“Dimpled flesh that 90% of women have. Now women have it in different grades, that’s for sure, but you could be a size 10 and have dimpled cellulite.
“A lot of it is genetic. You could be huge and not have any cellulite. This isn’t something that’s attributed to being fat, it’s genetic.”
BILLI MUCKLOW
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The former TOWIE star, who is married to footballer Andy Carroll, just last week shared candid photos of her mystery skin condition which left her skin inflamed and blistered.
Sharing before and after pictures of her face on Instagram, she revealed that she’d finally found a pain-free treatment that had worked.
The 36-year-old recalled how she’d been suffering with “redness, blisters and sore itchy skin” on her face for years and had tried a whole host of treatments – including fungal creams, rosacea treatments and had “every facial there is going” – but to no avail.
She explained how she’d been prescribed a steroid that seemingly helped her skin, but it wasn’t long before she realised that as soon as she forgot to take it, her skin would flare up again.
“I got to a point where if I missed one night of not applying the steroid the next day it would be back and it was getting worse,” she explained.
“I’ve now learnt that my skin was ADDICTED to the steroids.
“I had to ween my skin off the steroids and in the first week i was desperate to use them again because it got worse before it got better.”
Since then, she’s been given a skincare regime by specialist facialist Skin Genie Alex, which she credits for totally “transforming her skin.”
Alongside the photos, she penned: “These are pictures I never ever planned on sharing but my results that @the.skin.genie @skeyndor.uk have achieved with my skin are just too amazing not to share.”
Billi added: “With specialist facials, sticking to my new skin care routine and reassurance from the team behind these products I stuck it out and 12 weeks later I couldn’t be happier with my results.”