Jess Wright Apologizes After Controversial Bikini Comments

looked downcast as she was seen out and about in Essex for the first time since apologising for her 'degrading' comments about women who wear 'gross' thong bikinis. 

The TV personality, 40, attempted to go incognito in a black hoodie and gymwear as she was pictured exiting her local gym. 

Appearing downcast, the star donned a pair of gold shades as she scrolled on her phone on her way to her car. 

Jessica attempted to keep a low profile as she was seen leaving the gym with her hood up. 

Jessica's outing comes a day after she issued a heartfelt apology for comments made about women wearing thong bikinis on her Wright At Home podcast. 

The former TOWIE star, her mother Carol and sister Natalya came under fire for a 'degrading and disrespectful' conversation on their podcast about women's swimwear, in which they branded thong bikinis 'gross'. 

Despite deleting the clip from the podcast Instagram page, the clip was shared across with mass backlash against the discussion, which heard Jess say her husband Will 'hates' the look, while Carol said husband Mark Sr finds them 'unsexy'. 

Jess' subsequent apology on Tuesday afternoon, which was also shared on Carol and Natalya's accounts, read: 'In response to comments we made on our podcast. We've listened, we hear you and we want to say sorry...

'Our judgement was wrong and we take full accountability and will do better moving forward. Love Jess, Natalya and Carol'. 

Jess and Carol, aged 40 and 65 respectively, joined Natalya, 25, in discussing the swimwear - where Jess ordered women to 'put it away'. 

The star detailed her husband William Kemp's feelings, saying: 'Will cannot stand it. He says to me "I cannot understand how she thinks that's attractive". Put it away and leave something to the imagination. Who wants to see up their butts?'

In a move that stunned social media, Carol spoke about how her 69-year-old husband Mark Wright Sr. told her he finds the look 'unsexy' after he saw holidaymakers wearing thong bikinis - a look TikTokers pointed out Jess used to wear. 

Social media erupted with reaction to the clip, with many defiantly posting bikini pictures and stating: 'Jess, I do not dress for your husband', while others posted throwback images of Jess wearing thong bikinis over the years. 

Jess, Natalya and Carol launched Wright At Home in November last year and while the show has gained mild traction since its launch, the bikini discussion has stormed  TikTok - despite the minds behind the Instagram page removing the clip. 

The discussion started with Jess stating: 'I can't stand how it's acceptable to walk around on the beach in a thong', to which Natalya said: 'Do you know what's worse, these girls who do wear them, fair enough if you're gonna wear them, at least if you're gonna bend over and put your towel over your bed, put a sarong on!' 

Carol joined the conversation: 'I really do think this is not sexy for men to look at'. 

Jess then gave the insight of her husband's feelings, saying: 'Will cannot stand it. He says to me: "I cannot understand how she thinks that's attractive". Put it away and leave something to the imagination. Who wants to see up their butts'

Carol urged: 'Leave something to the imagination! It's not sexy', while Jess added: 'Please girls, wear bigger coverage bikini bottoms.'

The family matriarch then regaled a story from a holiday with her husband, who she revealed weighed in on the look of three women with varied figures. 

She said: 'Me and daddy was walking along the promenade and there were three girls in front of us and they were all different shapes and sizes but they had their whole arses out and daddy was looking and he said: "It doesn't even look sexy"'. 

Many social media users shared throwback images of Jess in barely-there bikinis - many of which showed much of her bottom due to the size of the swimwear. 

Those raising the hypocrite line wrote: Did no one see Jess on Towie? She was always in this sort of bikini when it was pool parties etc xxx... 

'Literally. pot kettle black and all that xx...  one rule for everyone else and their own rules for them, double standards at its finest lol'. 

One image in particular arose, showing Jess at her 2021 hen do walking through an airport in a fringed skirt with mininiscule bottoms worn underneath. 

Upset arose at the prospect of women failing to support other women, with one TikTok user declaring they are not concerned with Will's opinion. 

They wrote: 'Its disgusting women still have to deal with other women tearing them down for their clothing choices...

'Jess hunny, I do NOT dress for your husband and I certainly dont want him imagining me naked. That is not why the baddies wear thong bikini's'. 

One video showed a pair of girls standing at the front of a boat with words over the top reading: 'Oh better change my whole summer wardrobe because Jess Wright's husband and Dad think it's unacceptable and unattractive xxx'.