Former glamour model and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! star Nicola McLean has launched a powerful defence of Kelly Brook, calling out the vile online trolling and stark double standards faced by women in the public eye as they age.
The Jungle's Unfair Beauty Standards
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, the 44-year-old drew direct parallels between the criticism Brook is receiving during the current series of the ITV show and her own traumatic experience in the jungle back in 2008. McLean was relentlessly trolled for her breast implants, while Brook has faced a barrage of negative comments about her appearance and weight since landing in Australia.
"When I was in the jungle, I was horrendously trolled because of my massive implants. You can’t win as a woman," McLean stated. She expressed sadness that Brook felt compelled to explain her changing appearance before even entering the camp, referencing why she doesn't look the same as she did in her twenties.
A Lifelong Battle with Body Image
McLean's advocacy is deeply personal, rooted in her own lifelong struggles with body image. She has been open about battling bulimia from the age of 11, as well as anorexia and body dysmorphia. The mother of two revealed that after receiving horrible messages about her weight following TV appearances last year, she was thrust back into a dark place.
"I put on a bit of weight last year, because I’d just started eating normally," she explained. "But I went on TV and got horrendously trolled. That made me lose weight. I also went to get more Botox, filler and a salmon sperm facial."
She confessed that comments about her appearance affect her profoundly due to deep-seated insecurities. "Now people say I look amazing. But no one knows how hard it is for me to stay this size, just so people accept me when I’m doing my job."
Different Rules for Different Women
McLean argues that watching this year's I'm A Celeb has highlighted a clear and unfair distinction in how women of different ages and aesthetics are judged. She pointed to Ruby Wax, 72, avoiding body criticism, while Kelly Brook, 46, is not afforded the same grace.
"It’s as if beautiful women aren’t allowed to age," she said. "Vogue Williams and Myleene Klass are seen as aesthetically acceptable in the jungle. They’re both slim but not too skinny, and haven’t had lots of work done. They won’t have the level of trolling Kelly gets."
McLean acknowledges her own place in this hierarchy, stating, "I am plastic, I’ve had my boobs done, so I’m not seen in the same way as Vogue and Myleene."
This harsh reality is why she is adamant about educating her two teenage sons – Rocky, 19, and Striker, 15 – about realistic beauty standards. She has always been transparent with them about the cosmetic work she has had done to ensure they understand the difference between natural and enhanced features.
Despite the trolling, McLean credits her jungle experience with a profound positive impact. For the first time, she was forced to ditch her makeup, something even her husband, former footballer Tom Williams, had never seen. While she initially cried, she ultimately learned to accept her natural face, gaining a significant confidence boost. She praised Pamela Anderson for recently making a similar stand by going makeup-free.
Her husband remains supportive but concerned, especially given her three breast surgeries, the last of which went wrong. While he encourages her to ignore the trolls, McLean admits the comments about her looks are the hardest to shake, a testament to the enduring and damaging pressure women face in the spotlight.
