Sure, Jameela Jamil could have moved to Hollywood, made a decent living as a TV star in the likes of The Good Place and be done with it. Instead, she’s been on a crusade for much of her career to challenge unattainable beauty standards. ‘I can’t participate in this industry and not try to disrupt it, otherwise I’m failing my 12-year-old self,’ Jameela tells me on a video call from Los Angeles. It’s morning there and she’s at home with her puppy, Barold. ‘It’s my duty to be transparent for the next generation of girls. Everything I do is for them.’
At 26, I made history as the first solo female presenter of the Radio 1 Official Chart Show. The only thing being reported on, however, was my weight gain. Why should I be a particular body shape when there are no size requirements for using your voice on the radio? I was approached to sign diet deals and instead I went to the House of Commons to speak about how the media treats women. It was a real “Fuck this!” moment and I became incessantly vocal. Nine years later, I still refuse to shut up.
As an entire gender, we’re given a dossier – updated every decade – of what we’re supposed to look like. Big tits, tiny waist, long legs, big bottom, thigh gap. You must have a thin face but look eternally young. You should have thick, luscious hair despite the fact you’re barely eating enough to have thick, luscious hair because you’re trying so hard to have a thin body and skinny face.