Pamela Anderson Called “Frumpy” at Met Gala – Loose Women Fire Back in Fiery Debate About Beauty, Aging, and Misogyny

It was supposed to be a celebration of fashion, elegance, and bold self-expression – but when Pamela Anderson walked the Met Gala 2025 red carpet this week with a fresh-faced, makeup-free glow and an understated grey gown, the tabloids saw something different. In a now-infamous headline, one outlet called her “frumpy Pamela Anderson looks worlds away from Baywatch glory days in grey Met Gala gown.” The backlash was immediate – and nowhere more passionate than on Loose Women, where the panel took aim at the headline with righteous fury and biting wit.

“You’re not happy, are you?” one host asked another. “I’m not happy either,” came the blunt reply. And with that, the gloves were off.

Pamela Anderson, known the world over for her role as the sun-kissed, red-swimsuit-clad lifeguard in Baywatch, has become a surprising symbol for natural aging and beauty reclamation in recent years. Gone are the heavy lashes, contoured cheeks, and blowouts. In their place: bare skin, minimal styling, and an air of dignified confidence.

But apparently, not everyone was ready for that.

The Loose Women panel didn’t hold back in their critique of the media’s treatment of Pamela. They weren’t just defending the actress – they were drawing a line in the sand about what it means to age as a woman in the public eye.

“We can all be judgmental,” one panelist admitted. “We’ve all sat with our friends and said we don’t like someone’s shoes or whatever. But the idea of putting that negativity into a public forum? That still baffles me. Why would anyone go on someone’s socials or DM them with something cruel? It’s none of your business.”

The discussion turned sharply personal and political. “With Pamela,” one of the hosts noted, “she’s been accepted for nothing other than her looks for most of her life. Baywatch made her an icon – but a very sexualized one.”

Now, as Anderson steps into her fifties with grace and self-ownership, shedding the bombshell image, society seems unsure how to respond. And the reactions, particularly from other women, have been revealing.

“I hate this criticism – and it’s normally women criticizing women,” one of the hosts observed with clear frustration. “Where is the sisterhood? Why are we tearing each other down instead of lifting each other up?”

Indeed, what’s perhaps most disappointing is not just that the headline was written – but that it struck a nerve in a culture where women are told, “You’re beautiful just the way you are,” yet punished for showing up exactly that way.

“There’s so much shame placed on women for simply growing,” said another host. “We go through so much. Life is hard. And sometimes, all you want is for someone – even a stranger online – to uplift you. But instead, we’re told we’re frumpy because we didn’t wear mascara?”

The panel zeroed in on the language used in the headline. Calling the dress frumpy is one thing, they acknowledged. Fashion is subjective. But calling Pamela herself “frumpy”? That’s a loaded insult.

“Frumpy isn’t just a fashion critique – it’s an attack on her identity,” one said. “You could say the dress looks old-fashioned, or not your taste. Fine. But to say she is frumpy? That’s cruel and unnecessary.”

And the hypocrisy is glaring. “Why is it we never call men frumpy?” one panellist asked. “There’s no male equivalent to that word. You never read, ‘George Clooney looked a bit frumpy at the Oscars.’”

The conversation soon turned to Pamela’s own agency. Her new look, they argued, is more than a fashion choice – it’s a declaration. A reclaiming of her identity after decades of being seen as a one-dimensional sex symbol.

“Her makeup-free look is a way of taking control,” one host pointed out. “For so many years, her body and image were sexualized. This is her saying, ‘I’m done with that. I’m more than my appearance.’”

And yet, for daring to challenge that narrow narrative, she’s labeled “frumpy.”

It’s a double standard women know too well: Wear makeup and you’re vain. Don’t wear it and you’ve “let yourself go.” Show skin and you’re desperate. Cover up and you’re a prude. It’s a no-win game – and Pamela seems to be walking away from the board entirely.

And for that, she’s being punished in the press.

But Loose Women wasn’t having it. The panel praised her class, her intelligence, and her bravery in showing up as herself – especially in a space as notoriously image-obsessed as the Met Gala.

“She looks amazing,” one host concluded. “I may not love the dress, but she looks classy. Strong. Beautiful.”

The incident has sparked a wider conversation online about aging, beauty standards, and how society treats women who refuse to conform. Pamela Anderson may have walked the carpet quietly – but her presence made a statement louder than any tabloid headline.

As the panel so eloquently put it: “This is not about fashion. This is about freedom.”

And that’s a look we should all aspire to.

In a world that still equates female worth with youth and appearance, Pamela Anderson is rewriting the script – and whether the tabloids like it or not, she’s not playing the bombshell anymore. She’s playing herself.