Hello, I'm Gemma and welcome to another episode of Good Influence.

This is the podcast where I welcome our guests to discuss their experiences, answer your

questions and teach us something new.

This week we're talking about body confidence and fat phobia.

Confidence versus neutrality, the impact of the media that we grow up with, and the importance

of seeing ourselves reflected on screen.

So joining me this week is Laura Adlington.

Laura is a podcaster hosting self-love podcast Go Love Yourself alongside co-host and friend

Lauren Smith.

Laura reached the finals of the Great British Bake Off in 2020 and ever since has used

her platform to discuss plus size representation, discrimination, fashion and body image.

So we're going to talk about body confidence today.

Tell us a little bit about yourself and kind of how did you, how did you come to talk

about that for the most part?

So I grew up fat, I think I've always been fat like since the age of eight, I've always

really struggled with my weight and I thought that I was kind of alone in that sense if

I'm being really honest, I felt quite isolated and being like the fat friend and being bullied

and like finding hard to buy clothes.

And then I went on the bake off like a few years ago, I was starting to get into baking

loads and decided I would give it a go.

And it was kind of on the back of that really that I was getting like messages from women

just so it was saying like, it started off with like, what dress were you wearing or

...