Hello I'm Gemma and welcome to Good Influence. This is the podcast where each week you and I meet a guest

will help us pay attention to something we should know about as well as answer some of your questions.

This week we're talking about body acceptance and censorship. The plus-size modeling industry, the co-opting of body

positivity and being thrust into the role of activist.

So joining me this week is Naomi Nicholas Williams.

Naomi is a plus-size model who has worked with brands including Adadas, Boots and Dove. She's also an activist and describes herself as an advocate for mental health, body love and acceptance.

In 2020, she made headlines after semi-nude portraits of her were repeatedly removed from

Instagram, sparking a campaign in the hashtag I Want to See see Naomi eventually leading to a change in

Instagram's policy.

I can pin you to the chat so I can actually see your face.

Yeah, at least pretend we're in the same room.

I'm in a conversation.

At least, yeah.

So I'd love to start by sort of just asking you about your career so far like how long have you been modeling how did you get into it?

Yeah sure so I've been modeling for about four years now I was going to say three but we're in

2021 so that would make it four I literally started when I entered a competition

for quite a big brand and it was full of like plus-sized women and I got down to

the final 30 and I was like wow I've got down to like 30 women and there's something

here but I still didn't see many like fat black women like

myself and I thought you know what there should be more space for women that look

like me and just plus-size women in general. So I literally started my portfolio, I started

networking, I contacted photographers, I was relentless with applying to agencies, I got

...