A television news anchor from Missouri has captured the internet's attention by deploying sharp wit and humour to confront body-shaming trolls who target her appearance on air.
Turning Cruelty into Comedy Gold
Carissa Codel, a 26-year-old anchor for the "Ozark's First" morning news on Fox 49, began sharing light-hearted videos on TikTok in August 2025. In the clips, she reads out the often outrageous and offensive comments she receives about her curvy figure, delivering them in her signature professional newscaster voice.
"Dayumm Gurl, I want you to put a hurting on me like you do those midnight snacks," she recited with perfect deadpan delivery in one video. In another, she laughed while reading, "She's like the only fat 9 I've ever seen." Her comical approach quickly resonated, and the videos went viral, amassing her a significant online following.
Building a Following Through Thick Skin
Codel, who is 5'3" and 180 pounds, explained to The New York Post that her family's thick-skinned nature helped her develop resilience. "It doesn't affect me at all. I think that they're hilarious," she stated, noting she selectively shares the more creatively insulting remarks rather than the extremely mean ones.
Her strategy has proven wildly successful on social media, where she now boasts over 123,000 followers on TikTok and more than 222,000 on Instagram. Interestingly, Codel revealed she has lost approximately 55 pounds over the past three years, which has reduced the volume of cruel comments. She finds humour in the discrepancy, thinking, "Oh, you think I'm big now, you should have seen me back then."
Beyond Shaming: Suggestive Remarks and Professional Credibility
While many comments focus on body-shaming, others take a suggestive turn. Viewers have left remarks such as "Fe fi foe yum" and "This is who Sir Mix-a-Lot was rapping about." Another wrote, "Her parents gotta be beavers. Cause she's built like damnnnnnnnnnn."
Initially, Codel was concerned that her humorous clips might damage her credibility as a serious journalist. However, the opposite has occurred. She says the videos have actually helped her forge a deeper, more authentic connection with her audience, demonstrating that professionalism and personal authenticity are not mutually exclusive.
Her story, emerging in early December 2025, serves as a powerful example of using confidence and comedy to disarm online negativity, transforming personal attacks into a platform for empowerment and connection.
