Your Yorkshire Wedding - July/August 2023 (Issue 61)

Sophie Stonehouse on body positivity, self-love and flawless skin Social media sensation Sophie Stonehouse, is perhaps best known for her appearance on the fourth series of Netflix’s reality dating show, Too Hot To Handle. Hailing from Brighton, she was the only British cast member and made her mark as the group of risqué singletons were put to the test of abstinence in order to keep their prize money high and stay in with a chance of winning it. Since leaving the villa, she has dedicated her time to producing fashion and style content for her social media followers, now numbering in their hundreds of thousands. Lesser known however are her struggles with body dysmorphia and her fight to achieve body positivity. Being the centre of attention on their wedding day, isn’t every couple’s dream with issues such as Sophie’s becoming more prevalent, and importantly more commonly discussed. So, CWM’s beauty and wellness editor, Kelly Andrews, caught up with Sophie to find out how she overcame these personal challenges, as well as discovering her top health and wellbeing tips. What will you take away from your time on Too Hot To Handle? The experience really taught me about self-love and respect. It also taught me that the most incredible experiences in life, happen when you least expect it. I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to go on the show. What have you been up to since you left the show? I’ve completely transformed my career to become a full-time content creator. It’s a job I’ve always wanted to do. It’s definitely not an easy one, but it’s very fulfilling. I’ve also found a new relationship since leaving the show, and I’m very happy. You seem very at home in your own body. How did you find this confidence? Body confidence is something I’ve definitely struggled with, and I’m definitely a victim of body dysmorphia. But, I found the confidence to be at home in my own body, when I realised that I was never truly going to be happy with it. I noticed that I was always finding something to complain about whether I was overweight or underweight. Once I learned to accept myself, only then did I truly feel at home. Are you able to tell us a bit about your battle with body dysmorphia and coming out the other side? I’ve suffered badly with it over the past couple years. Since being Being Sophie © James Rudland 82

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