Love Island star Liberty Poole has been praised for a stunning body positive post, as she reveals cruel people have asked if she’s pregnant.
The reality TV star, who appeared on the 2021 series of the hit ITV show, has been the subject of abuse both online and in person in recent months after she shot to fame on the ITV2 dating series alongside ex-boyfriend, Jake Cornish.
The Birmingham beauty has been the victim of endless trolling over her “big tummy”. But the social media influencer has taken the opportunity to hit back at the malice.
On Valentine’s Day, she took to her Instagram to post a snap of herself looking utterly stunning as she posed up a storm in a red lace lingerie set.
She posted two snaps: the first of her posing standing up, and the second of her sitting down, holding her stomach and smiling.
“Yes I can look like this but…” she wrote on the first glam image. “I can also look like this!” she wrote on the second.
The stunning snaps were captioned with a lengthy message to her fans about loving their bodies and normalising imperfections.
“Happy Valentines - Love your body and normalise imperfections on social media,” she began.
“Couldn’t think of a better day to accept every part of ourselves! My tummy has always been one of my biggest insecurities it’s where I gain weight and I suffer with being very bloated at times.
“But you know what that’s normal! So we shouldn’t be made to feel like it isn’t.
“Growing up and still to this day sometimes I still feel the need to look picture perfect but it isn’t day to day life.
“We have good days, bad days and all the days in-between.”
Liberty went on to explain how she felt pressured to lose weight by the latest fashion trends, for fear of people commenting on how she looks.
“I felt like I had to lose weight to fit in with the low waist skirt and cargo fashion trend otherwise people would stare at my tummy and assume I was pregnant or comment on it .
“And you know what I went out in low waist the other day and didn’t care !! Everyday I choose me over anyone so I owe it to myself to love every part of me to posed and unposed.
“If I can do it YOU can too . Love you all Lib [love heart emoji].”
Fans took to the comments section to praise Liberty for her bravery.
“You’re amazing liberty,” one wrote.
“Most of us girls have tummy’s and most of us all have a continuous battle trying to get rid! (I know I do) I’m learning now to accept it and it’s normal,” another said.
A third penned: “This is such a strong message to young impressionable girls. I wish more media personalities were like that. The most important love is loving yourself.”
Another said: “Thanks for keeping it real lady!! Too many girls out here are suffering low self esteem, trying to keep up with what they think is a perfect world. When the reality is that our imperfections are what make us original & what actually makes us perfect! The world would be a pretty boring place if we all looked the same xx.”
And a fifth praised: “All of a sudden I don't feel so awful about myself. Thank you so much for posting this because you're one person I look at and think ‘she's so beautiful.’”