Hollyoaks actress Jessica Fox stunned in a swimsuit selfie as she opened up about having a ‘complicated’ relationship with her body.
The soap star, 40, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the candid post, after giving birth to a son called River last March following two miscarriages.
Jessica, who has played Nancy Hayton on Hollyoaks since 2005, shared a snap of herself sporting a black plunging swimsuit with scalloped lining, as she gave fans some very relatable insight into how she felt about her body.
She revealed she the time spent hating her body would ‘add up to weeks rather than hours’, but spoke of seeing it in the mirror in the swimsuit and feeling positive.
‘It’s not a perfect body but it’s mine,’ she said. ‘It grew a little human and I was lucky to be able to breastfeed.’
Hollyoaks actress Jessica Fox stunned in a swimsuit selfie as she opened up about having a ‘complicated’ relationship with her body on Instagram on Tuesday
Jessica’s post read: ‘Mum fit. Trying on a swimming costume at 11pm with a full washing basket behind me.
‘I think like most people I have a complicated relationship with my body. The amount of time I’ve spent hating it would add up to weeks rather than hours.
‘I feel there is so much noise around what we should look like, how we should be working out, what we should be eating, feeling, sleeping and honestly…it’s exhausting! The goal posts change but the pressure to be whatever this year’s version of perfect is the same.’
Jessica added: ‘BUT back to me. In this moment looking at myself I didn’t have hate, I was fairly “alright with it”.
‘It’s now healthy and strong enough to play, to roll around, chase, cuddle and to carry and seeing as it’s almost my birthday – that’s something to celebrate.’
The actress was flooded with support as several of her Hollyoaks co-stars commented applauding her honesty.
‘You look a big bit gorgeous to me! ❤️,’ said Amy Conachan, who played Courtney Campbell on the soap from 2016 to 2021.
Current Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe [Mercedes McQueen] also showed support, saying: ‘Absolutely stunning ❤️❤️.’
The soap star , 40, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the candid post after giving birth to a son called River last March following two miscarriages
Jessica, who secretly married Nicholas in 2020, revealed she was pregnant in October 2022, taking to Instagram to share a picture of her baby scan
The actress was flooded with support as several of her Hollyoaks co-stars commented applauding her honesty
Jessica welcomed her first child with her husband Nicholas Willes, a baby boy named River, in March last year
‘You look incredible ❤️,’ said Sophie Austin, who played Lindsey Butterfield between 2013 and 2016.
Stephanie Waring [Cindy Cunningham] shared a love heart and Sophie Porley [Ellie Nightingale] posted fire emojis.
Jessica’s body confession comes after she gave birth to her first child with husband Nicholas Willes in March 2023.
The new mother announced that she and her husband Nicholas had named their baby boy River, gushing: ‘Baby River, you have changed our world forever and we are so grateful we get to love you’.
Jessica shared a number of photos from the birth, including one of her first cuddle with her baby boy as her husband looked on.
Another snap showed Nicholas proudly carrying their baby out of the hospital, while she also shared a close-up image of River’s hospital ID bracelet, which revealed he was born on March 7.
Jessica, who secretly married Nicholas in 2020, revealed she was pregnant in October 2022, taking to Instagram to share a picture of her baby scan.
In the post, shared on baby loss awareness week, Jessica also candidly opened up about her fertility journey, explaining she has previously suffered two miscarriages.
Confirming her pregnancy, she wrote: ‘This week has been baby loss awareness week.
The new mother announced that she and her husband Nicholas had named their baby boy River, captioning a series of photos: ‘Baby River, you have changed our world forever’
Another snap showed Nicholas proudly carrying their baby out of the hospital, while she also shared a close-up image of River’s hospital ID bracelet, which revealed he was born on March 7
Jessica candidly opened up about her fertility journey, explaining she has previously suffered two miscarriages
‘So it seemed a good (and bad) time to share our story at the end of such an important and heartbreaking campaign and to show our support to all those who have been or are going through a similar journey.
‘Trigger warning: Trying to conceive and conceiving after loss. Please make use of the mute or unfollow button if any of this is too much for you.
‘Out of difficulties, grow miracles. Due spring 2023.’
In a longer caption, shared as a series of screenshots alongside her post, she went on to open up about her fertility journey.
She penned: ‘Nick and I have been on a rocky road to get to this point. Miscarriage is awful, there is no other word for it.
‘It robs you of the future you had planned, your faith in your body, it’s isolating, lonely, frightening and nobody seems to talk about it.
‘It’s incredibly painful, it’s pass out in your bathroom painful. It takes away the joy and excitement when and if you choose (and are able) to get pregnant again.
‘It’s replaced by anxiety, stress and more fear than I ever could have imaged. Nick and I lost two babies in 2021. Both losses were at the end of the first trimester and completely heartbreaking.’
