Judi Love and Helen Skelton open up to OK! on why fashion should be fun, learning to love our bodies and working with Gok Wan on their new campaign celebrating midlife women
WORDS: EVE MACDONALD PHOTOS: ELISABETH HOFF/JD WILLIAMS, REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
KEEPING IT REAL
Loose Women panellist Judi Love and TV presenter Helen Skelton are two formidable women on screen – and now the pair are encouraging the nation to embrace their own body confidence and individuality, as part of a recent campaign with JD Williams.
With a firm belief that style knows no age limit, 43-year-old Judi – who is mum to a daughter, 18, and a 13-year-old son – says that as she’s grown older, she’s learnt to appreciate her body and be grateful for what she’s got.
“It’s important to love yourself,” she says. “Self-love is so underrated.”
And for Helen, 40, it’s all about flipping the mindset of body confidence on its head. Helen, who has three children – Ernie, eight, Louis, six, and two-year-old Elsie – believes that we should be celebrating our body’s achievements.
“I’m very grateful for mine. It gave me my children,” she explains. “We should embrace things.”
Here, the pair chat about their new campaign, what they love best about their work, and why it’s important to welcome a new chapter in life…
Hi, Judi! Let’s chat fashion. Do you show your personality through your style?
Yes, fashion should be fun. Unfortunately though, we can be too busy worrying about things like, “How does my bum look in this?” That can take the fun away from it.
Have you struggled with body confidence at any point in your life?
Of course. Especially when you have children and your body changes – mine has over the years – it’s natural to have a moment when you lack confidence. I’ve been trying to focus more on how grateful I am for my body. Yes, I’ve got a belly and cellulite. Yes, I’ve got stretch marks… but these are all part of me. My body carried two beautiful children and it gets me up every morning. It allows me to do the work that I love. I wish I had that much confidence when I was younger though.
We can be so negative at times about our bodies…
You’d never speak to your friend like that but we do to ourselves. My new outlook is to stand in front of the mirror naked, turn to the left then right, and just appreciate
