Whitney Thore, the star of TLC’s hit reality show My Big Fat Fabulous Life, gained widespread recognition in 2014 when a captivating YouTube video titled Fat Girl Dancing showcased her impressive dance moves and self-confidence.
This video quickly captured the attention of millions, and Whitney was offered her own reality TV series, which premiered shortly thereafter.
Throughout its 11-season run, the show has chronicled Whitney’s journey towards weight loss and has become a platform for discussing body positivity and self-acceptance.
In the show’s early days, Whitney made appearances on various UK chat shows, where she passionately promoted her series and shared her views on the significance of embracing one’s body, regardless of size.
However, her experience with some media personalities has not been entirely positive. One such instance was an interview with , renowned British broadcaster, which took place in 2015 on
Eamonn Holmes upset Whitney when he interviewed her in 2015. (Image: GB NEWS)
Whitney has since expressed her displeasure with that interaction, stating that she found it negative and uncomfortable.
Recently, Whitney clarified her feelings regarding future television appearances while speaking to the Daily Star about her potential return to UK television.
She revealed, “I haven’t done any UK TV shows in about ten years, but I would gladly go on any of them again – except for [any with] Eamonn Holmes.
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Whitney Thore is known for advocating on body positivity. (Image: INSTAGRAM)
“He conducted the absolute worst interview of my entire career, but other than that, my experience in the UK has always been so lovely, and I love my time here so much.”
However, she still has favourable impressions of the rest of the UK, adding: “Just the other night, I got the nicest message from an insanely famous UK singer – I won’t disclose who just for privacy reasons, but it absolutely made my day.”
In an interview conducted a decade ago, Eamonn raised a poignant point about public perception with Whitney, suggesting that many people view her as a negative representation of body image. He provocatively remarked that, due to her size, some might even claim that her “heart is probably not very good,” implying a stereotype that associates body weight with health.
In response, Whitney opened up about the pervasive fatphobia she encounters in her daily life. She articulated her frustration by stating: “Fat people often elicit discomfort and offence in others within society. I’ve come to realise that prejudice against individuals based on their size is one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination.”
However, Eamonn said: “But what about people concerned about you? I mean, there might be people concerned you’re gonna keel over and die because maybe your body or your heart won’t be able to sustain all the enthusiasm that you have.”
Whitney tried to explain her motives to break down stereotypes about people who are overweight, saying: “I think that health concern is often a mask to discriminate or be cruel to fat people.
“I’d actually like to break some stereotypes about fat people because, at 380 pounds, I’m not naive to the health issues that may come if I stay this weight. But I have no major health problems, and I’ve never even had high blood pressure.”
But Eamonn cut across her to repeatedly say “Yet…” before claiming he had been “lampooned” for his weight.