Jealous trolls accuse me of ‘promoting obesity’ and tell me to ‘go and die’, but I don’t care – I’m fat and proud
LAURA Adlington has been called “every name under the sun” and has even been accused of promoting obesity by keyboard warriors.
But size 26 Laura, who found fame on The Great British Bake Off in 2020, believes the trolls are just jealous and need to get “therapy“.
Laura, 34, has since made a name for herself as a plus-size fashion influencer since her TV stint, where she captured the nation’s heart with her baking skills and infectious personality.
But since then, the Kent-based star has turned her attention to something even more important: redefining beauty and body positivity.
As a proud curvy content creator, Laura uses her platform to help women embrace their bodies, no matter their size or shape.
Despite this, being in the public eye hasn’t come without its challenges and Laura has faced her fair share of trolls, with some even telling her to “go and die”.
But she is having none of it, as Laura tells Fabulous: “I’m fat and happy.
“I get messages calling me a ‘fat b***h’ and a ‘fat c***’ and telling me I should diet and ‘go and die’. Those ones don’t bother me.
“[Trolling] happens and I think it’s a reflection of insecurities and jealousy, but I try not to let it bother me and affect me.
“The ones that bother me more now are the ones that say I’m promoting obesity.
“That really angers me and frustrates me because it’s not true. I’m not standing in the high street signposting people to McDonald’s and telling people what to eat.
“There’s so many influencers that promote FAD diets, I don’t talk about what I eat. I don’t share anything about that.”
From Bake Off to Body Positivity
Before Bake Off, Laura was on the brink of a life-changing decision, just three days away from getting bariatric surgery.
She says: “Around March 2020, I was three days away from having bariatric surgery.
“I realised that as much as the opportunity would fix my stomach, it wasn’t going to fix my head, and that my issues with food and eating were a lot more deep rooted.
“It made me question why I felt the need to constantly be on a diet and change myself and feel that my life would be better if I ‘just lost weight’, if I was ‘just smaller’, if I was ‘just one dress size down’.
“I realised that tomorrow isn’t promised. It might sound a bit cheesy but I realised how many years I wasted hating myself and it literally got me nowhere.”
This pivotal moment sparked a shift in Laura’s thinking, and she soon began sharing her experiences online.
Now, she lives a “full and happy life” and isn’t wasting time missing out on life’s experiences.
I realised that you can be fat and happy. We deserve that, whatever our size or shape
Laura Adlington
But Laura admits: “It wasn’t an overnight thing, it was quite gradual.
“I think I definitely got validation from other plus-size women online who were in the same boat.”
Through her honesty about diet culture, body neutrality, and self-love, Laura’s social media accounts took off, resonating with thousands who were ready to embrace themselves fully, flaws and all.
Now, with 428,000 followers, she shares: “I wanted to share my experience growing up fat, because I felt very alone and isolated, I had a different experience growing up to a lot of other people.
“I realised that actually, it’s really important that we share our experiences because they can resonate and help people and inspire people to be more confident in themselves.
“I decided to share more about my knowledge of diet culture and body positivity and body neutrality and [my social media accounts] kind of just took off really.”
Taking Back the Word ‘Fat’
For many, the word fat carries negative connotations, but Laura isn’t afraid to own it.
Laura shares: “I realised that you can be fat and happy. We deserve that, whatever our size or shape.
“I think for a lot of us, for such a small word, it can hold so much power, the word fat.
“For me personally, growing up, it was always used as an insult.
“Even now, it doesn’t happy often, but if I ever have a run in with a stranger, the immediate thing is ‘you fat b***h’, ‘you fat cow’. And even online, I’m called it as an insult.
The 5 Best Body Positive Influencers To Follow
- @_nelly_london – Nelly has been on a journey with breast corrective surgery and has also shared her experience with eating disorders, her honesty and openness makes her a great follow.
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- @jessontheplussize – She advocates for women wearing what they want no matter their body shape.
“For me personally, it’s important that we try and neutralise that word and use it as a descriptor, just like someone can be brunette or short or thin.”
Laura believes that reclaiming the word is part of a larger mission to create a society that doesn’t judge people by their size, as she adds: “It’s kind of a bit like taking back the power with it.
“Factually, I am fat. We can sometimes be a little bit oversensitive in today’s society and I am fat, that’s what I am, so I think why not use it?”
The Dark Side of Social Media
Laura has had her fair share of trolling, especially since her time on Bake Off.
She shares that the trolling began whilst she was on the show, as she continues: “During Bake Off was my first experience of trolling and it was a really difficult time, I was extremely low.
“I think that’s one of the reasons I don’t really bake now, because when thousands of people tell you you’re rubbish at something, you’re gonna take that on board.
“It really did knock all my confidence and I took it all very personally.”
I’ve been called every name under the sun that you can possibly imagine. Comments are horrific, beyond nasty
Laura Adlington
But the trolling soon reached another level when she began influencing, as she admits: “I find TikTok to be very toxic and I post and then walk away. I got trolled really, really badly on one video and it did upset me, so now I just post and don’t really engage with people. I have to do that to protect myself.
“I’ve been called every name under the sun that you can possibly imagine. Comments are horrific, beyond nasty.
“It is really hard but I feel sorry for them, no-one that is happy or secure in themselves would write that stuff. Who can be bothered to take the time to do that?
“You’re in need of some counselling or therapy. It’s not healthy. I think some of it is jealousy.”
But Laura doesn’t let the trolls win. In fact, she’s made it clear that although she’s received some particularly vicious comments, she has developed a thick skin.
She reveals: “Most people are really nice, it’s just the odd d*** head. Sometimes it will ruin your day and it will get to you, but you’ve just got to brush it off.
“I think social media gets such a bad reputation, there are absolute d*** heads online and most of them are men.
“You build up resilience. Sometimes it hurts, I might see the odd comment and it stings a bit, but I’ve built a wall up. I’m not saying it’s always water off a duck’s back, but you do develop a thick skin.
“I will often get messages, often daily, of people sharing their stories. People say that I’ve helped them wear something new and feel better about themselves. That feels amazing.”
The Power of Representation
Despite the negativity, Laura has found a supportive and loyal community online, many of whom share how she’s inspired them to love themselves.
And the feedback she receives from her followers is what keeps her going.
Laura explains: “Representation is really important and when you can see yourself reflected online, it’s really powerful.
“I grew up and never saw myself on TV, in magazines, in film, unless they were being made fun of.
“So to see someone with my body type resonates with people and empowers them to wear trendy clothes and be confident.
“A lot of people say ‘I wish I had you when I was growing up and then I wouldn’t have felt like such a freak’.”
A Message to Haters
To the trolls who continue to spew hate, Laura, author of Diet Starts Monday, has one clear message: “Go to therapy.”
She advises trolls: “Think about the fact that there’s an actual person with a human beating heart behind that screen of yours.
“I think people just do it for the laugh, comment and don’t think about it.”
I do deserve love and respect, whatever my shape and however I look and I’m not going to let it define me
Laura Adlington
And Laura’s advice to others dealing with negativity is equally empowering: “Anybody, whatever their shape or size, deserves love and respect and dignity and I think that’s a fundamental, human right.
“I’m just existing and all I’m saying to people is, it’s fine if you want to lose weight, but don’t make it your life’s purpose.”
Living a Full and Happy Life
Today, Laura is living life on her own terms and for her, it’s all about living without apology, and not letting anyone or anything hold her back.
She concludes: “I think we get sold this lie that we have to be body positive and that body positivity means that you have to feel good and love your body every day, love every roll, love every bit of cellulite.
“And actually I think that’s not only unrealistic but also borderline dangerous because nobody, I’m sure nobody looks in the mirror every day and thinks ‘I look fantastic, I love my bloated stomach, I love my bingo wings’. It’s just not realistic for me.
“For me, it’s more about body acceptance than body positivity. Some days I think I look great and sometimes I think I look awful, I think that’s most women.
“That’s fine, I don’t have to love how I look but I do deserve love and respect, whatever my shape and however I look and I’m not going to let it define me.”