ITV News presenter Charlene White will join the likes of Mike Tindall, Boy George, Chris Moyles and Corrie’s Sue Cleaver in this year’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
I’m A Celebrity campmate Charlene White Charlene White has told how she brushes off any negative comments about her weight after being left “so upset” when a viewer emailed to say her size was “unacceptable”.
The ITV News presenter and Loose Women anchor, 42, was stunned when she received the blunt viewer message 15 years ago, just a year after she started on the channel, and it left her feeling “disgusting” about her body.
But now she has learned to “tolerate” such abuse and knows she is “good at her job” regardless of her appearance.
She said: “I’m comfortable in my skin. A year into starting at ITV, 15 years ago, I was working overnight shifts and an email came through at 10pm with ‘your weight’ in the subject line.”
Charlene is a well known face on ITV News and Loose Women (
Image:
ITV)
Get all the biggest showbiz news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Mirror Showbiz newsletter.
“The email said, ‘You can’t fail to notice that you’re bigger than other news presenters. It’s something that you need to deal with. It’s unacceptable that you are the size you are.’
“I was so upset and it made me compare myself to other people, which, of course, is very unhealthy, but I couldn’t help but look at myself and think, ‘I’m disgusting.’
“With age and confidence, I’ve learned to tolerate communication such as that. I’m good at my job, irrespective of what I look like. Comments about my weight now don’t bother me.”
Charlene says a viewer once emailed in about her weight (
Image:
WireImage)
The mum-of-two says it left her feeling ‘disgusting’ (
Image:
Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Speaking to Top Sante magazine, she added: “My weight has fluctuated since I was in my late teens, so training is not about me losing weight.
“It’s about me feeling strong, and I definitely now feel stronger.
“I love fitness and challenges. I love squatting a particular weight, then the following week trying to smash that barrier.
“As I lift heavier and heavier, I realise I’m getting stronger. My brain works very well in that way.”
Charlene has touched down in Australia to film I’m A Celeb (
Image:
Mirror)Charlene arrived at Brisbane on Thursday and admitted the show would be a challenge.
She said: “I think if I was ever to do a show such as Im A Celebrity the issues will mainly be the outdoors, I don’t do bugs, I don’t do spiders, I don’t do any of those things. So why would I sign up?!
“There are several facets to me so perhaps I would surprise people. Who knows? Maybe you will see a different side.”
