I'm A Celebrity campmate Charlene White has spoken about how she's had to deal with negative comments from viewers. The 42-year-old ITV News presenter and Loose Women anchor is about to head into the jungle after landing at Brisbane to take part in this year's series of the hit ITV show.
She has spoken about how she brushes off any negative comments about her weight after being left "so upset" when a viewer emailed to say her size was "unacceptable". She received the blunt viewer message 15 years ago, just a year after she started on the channel, and it left her feeling "disgusting" about her body.
But now she has learned to "tolerate" such abuse and knows she is "good at her job" regardless of her appearance, the Mirror reports.
She said: "I'm comfortable in my skin. A year into starting at ITV, 15 years ago, I was working overnight shifts and an email came through at 10pm with 'your weight' in the subject line.”
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"The email said, 'You can't fail to notice that you're bigger than other news presenters. It's something that you need to deal with. It's unacceptable that you are the size you are.'
"I was so upset and it made me compare myself to other people, which, of course, is very unhealthy, but I couldn't help but look at myself and think, 'I'm disgusting.'
"With age and confidence, I've learned to tolerate communication such as that. I'm good at my job, irrespective of what I look like. Comments about my weight now don't bother me."
Charlene - who has son Alfie, five, and daughter Florence, three, with her TV executive partner Andy - restarted weight training over the summer, and admits she loves embarking on "fitness challenges" to get stronger. Life in camp should also contain similar challenges.
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Speaking to Top Sante magazine, she added: "My weight has fluctuated since I was in my late teens, so training is not about me losing weight.
"It's about me feeling strong, and I definitely now feel stronger.
"I love fitness and challenges. I love squatting a particular weight, then the following week trying to smash that barrier.
"As I lift heavier and heavier, I realise I'm getting stronger. My brain works very well in that way."
Charlene arrived at Brisbane on Thursday and admitted the show would be a challenge.
She said: "I think if I was ever to do a show such as Im A Celebrity the issues will mainly be the outdoors, I don't do bugs, I don't do spiders, I don't do any of those things. So why would I sign up?!
"There are several facets to me so perhaps I would surprise people. Who knows? Maybe you will see a different side."
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