Television presenter Hayley McQueen has told how she is comfortable being curvy so she can he be a role model for women and girls.
The sports host spoke openly about her physical appearance as she hit out at ‘unattainable beauty standards’ in the media.
Her comments came during a discussion with fellow Sky Sports presenter Kelly Cates and ITV’s Christine Lampard on their ‘Not Just Football’ podcast.
The wide-ranging chat, which saw an appearance from expert nutritionist Ruth Wood, saw the team cover health, confidence, social media and the current popularity of weight loss jabs.
Discussing her own weight, McQueen, 45, said: ‘We’ve all grown up in the world of television where there’s a lot more scrutiny on us. We’re all different shapes and sizes. I’ve struggled with weight gain and loss.
‘I’ve never really dieted. I’m comfortable with the fact I’m a size 12 to 14. There are girls watching me on screen thinking “Well she’s not a size six, so that’s ok”. And I love the fact that I can be a bit of a role model.
‘I love that I’ve got colleagues who are a size six to eight and they can appeal to some of the younger girls at home as well.’
She also touched upon the hurtful comments she has had to endure on social media about her appearance and how she felt uncomfortable at times in the past.
Television presenter Hayley McQueen says she is comfortable with her ‘naturally more curvy’ figure
Hayley McQueen as a child with her father, the former Scotland footballer Gordon McQueen
The TV star said: ‘I’m a naturally more curvy girl, I’ve never been thin, always been athletic, probably carried a bit more weight sometimes than others.’
She added: ‘I was on air, it was at a time at Sky we were wearing these fitted dresses and it didn’t suit maybe my shape or I didn’t feel as comfortable so I would maybe cover up in different ways.’
However, she also touched upon the fact that her upbringing showed her the importance of health over appearance.
Ms McQueen – daughter of former Scotland footballer Gordon McQueen – said: ‘I’ve been very lucky that I’ve grown up in a healthy household. Obviously dad played football so we were aware of health and nutrition and being strong.’
Her latest comments on social media abuse comes after Ms McQueen revealed how she has tracked down online trolls and reported them to their workplace.
She had said: ‘With one person I had found where they worked and I got in touch with their workplace and sent a letter and printed out the messages they posted on their Instagram account.
‘I don’t know what happened. I never got a reply. But the person’s account was gone. I had found them on LinkedIn and written to their boss. That made me feel better.’
