The Curvy Stars of Strictly 2012

We here at the Curvety office absolutely love the glitz and glamour of Strictly Come Dancing to bring some sparkle to the cold and dreary evenings.

This year they have some fabulous curvy celebs to wow us all on the dance floor including the lovely Fern Britton and the gorgeous Lisa Riley. Fern has appeared on the show before for a Christmas special and hopes to do as well as previous tv presenters. She has been paired up with Artem Chigvintsev. Lisa is most famously known for her role ion Emmerdale but has more recently appeared on stage in Calendar Girls. She was learning ballet from the tender age of 4 and with her dance partner Robin Windsor is hoping to go all the way. She told Strictly that she is a big girl and there are a lot of big girls out there. She said “I want to do it for all the chubbies out there. Chubbies can move.”

No matter what your favourite style of ballroom dancing is you can get the look, if Tango is you favourite then we think the Rebecca Gown is perfect to show a bit of leg for this sultry dance, or perhaps you prefer the more lively dances like the Quickstep you could get the look with the fabulous Luna dress in Raspberry a very up and coming colour for this season.

All you need is a fabulous pair of heels and the dance floor is all yours. In the famous words of Sir Brucey “Keep Dancing!”

Top 3 Curvy Celebs of 2008

The year is drawing to a close and what a year it's been!

2008 has seen the size acceptance movement fall into full swing and real women everywhere are learning to accept and be proud of their curves. They are demanding a voice in both the public domain and in the retail sector & the choice of plus size clothes has never been so great.

The rise of size acceptance has seen an increase of curvy women in the world of celebrity, those rare role models who refuse to bow to the pressure of life in the limelight as a curvy women.

As 2008 wraps up I wanted to celebrate my top 3 curvy role models of the year...

Chloe Marshall has to be my number 1 curvy celebrity in 2008. Her stirling work in raising awareness of the sexiness of curves earlier in the year when coming second in the Miss England final was monumental. Chloe is a beautiful young woman and the UK really got behind her.

In second place has to be Beth Ditto, who has won the admiration of women across the world for her attitude and daring dress sense. Beth knows how to steal the show, and proves to the world that you dont need to be a size 0 to do it. BTW - love the new orange hair Beth!

In third place it has to be Adele, just because I love her. She is my favourite by far of the new singing talents of 2008. when I first heard her voice it gave me goose bumps, so I was doubly pleased when I found out she was proud to be a curvy woman.

There have been many sad stories of celebritites who have suffered at the hands of the size stigma in the UK - such as Fern Britton and Natalie Cassidy.

Here's to a 2009 which celebrates the beauty of the female form in all its wonderful variations, and where celebrities and normal women alike can feel confident of who they are without being judged.

Fern Britton Weight Loss Surgery

It has recently come to light that Fern Britton underwent a gastric band operation 2 years ago which has enabled her to lose 5 stone. Until now Fern has attributed her weight loss to exercise and healthy eating, but now it seems she had a little help along the way.

Husband chef Phil Vickery, 46, has been reported as saying: 'Fern has lost a lot of weight through cycling, walking the dog and not eating too much - simple as that.'

Now as you know I am a firm believer in maintaining a healthy (to you) weight through good diet and exercise, and in all honesty am not adverse to operations such as this in extreme cases where health is affected and all other options have been explored. However, I think that celebrities who are just not happy with their weight and want an easier route to their 'ideal' figure are aiding the terrible public image of being overweight. I still think Fern is a great presenter and TV personality, who has a lovely curvy figure - for now. I am sorry that I can no longer class Fern as a fuller figured role model promoting self acceptance as it seems she has been the most recent victim of cowing to the media's portrayal of what is publically acceptable.

If you are proud of your curves you can dress in style, visit Curvety.com for fab fashion in sizes 16 to 36.

Curvy Celebrity Pressure

It seems to me that whenever a plus size, or curvier woman in the public eye is praised for being a good role model representing 'normal' women in the UK and portraying a 'normal' body shape, suddenly they feel an overwhelming urge to lose loads of weight!

Sophie Dahl, Nigella Lawson, Lily Allen, Fern Britton & Geri Halliwell are all guilty of drastic slimming following a stint in the public eye as an ambassador for curves. Most of these women have not only had positive press about their figure, but have personally & publically announced that they are proud of their bodies. Take Nigella Lawson for example, who only two months ago told 'The Telegraph' that she was happy with her curvier figure, saying 'I'm very glad that I don't have that skinny straight-up-and-down shape'. Two months on and She has reportedly hired a personal trainer to get her into shape!!!

As with most things, with the good come the bad - and in media land the bad can be down right harsh. So for every positive story these women will find about themselves, I am sure they are notified of another which frankly blows a hole in their self esteem.

Take the recent publicity surrounding Chloe Marshall for example. Although most stories and comments about the first plus size Miss England entrant have been very positive and supportive - there is always one or two spiteful opinions thrown in to rock the boat. Lets hope that Chloe doesn't feel the pressure to conform to the unhealthy size zero trend because of this coverage.

I could say that these women should ignore these comments, but I can imagine how hard it is dealing with such a personal attack, and what it must do to your confidence. If they were murderers they would expect to receive bad press, but just for your weight - why?

It needs to stop.

Fern Britton Plays Dirty

One of my favourite curvy role models, Fern Britton, is receiving some stick along with fellow presenter Phillip Schofield, for a bit of riske fun on daytime TV.

This Morning plunged into controversy last week after Fern presented an interview with a woman who sells sex toys for Ann Summers. Gwen Bailey, 75, claims to be the oldest host of sex toy parties in the country. During the interview Gwen encouraged a giggling Fern to test the wares on her nose for suitability while a bemused Phil looked on.

I can see how this would possibly cause concern to some viewers, but I must admit that I fall into the category that found it hugely amusing! Fern to me looks like she was put into an uncomfortable situation (after all, she wont have scheduled the guests) and made the best of it by having a bit of a giggle. As always, Fern looked on hot on the couch, sporting a sexy black skirt suit, get the look here.

National Television Awards

This week I took great delight in indulging my love of trashy TV by watching the National Television Awards. To ease the rest of the household I boldy announced my requirement to watch it to report on the fashion, as everyone knows, those TV stars love an excuse to dress up and party!!

This year didn't disappoint, and the stars were out in some of the best (and worst) evening dresses to have been seen so far this season. Here's a round up of my favourites. Firstly I have to pay homage to Fern Britton who looked absolutely amazing in a simple black halter dress with one of my favourite bolero style shrugs as a cover. Fern is a beautiful woman and she really seemed to glow. Another favourite for me was Kelly Brook in a grecian style floor length gown which accentuated her beautifully curvy figure perfectly.

The night brought a mix of timeless classics and bold new styles. One colour which seemed to be a firm favourite with our TV celebs was electric blue, a bold colour which if used correctly can really make you stand out from the crowd for the right reasons, as demonstrated by Doctor Who's award winning actress Freema Agyeman, as well as woman of the moment, Corrie's Tina O'Brien (pictured). You can get the look for the upcoming party season with this blue evening dress from Curvety.com.

Curvy Fern Britton turns 50

As tomorrow is the her 50th birthday I wanted to pay homage to Fern Britton, one of my favourite UK plus size celebrities.

Fern is a wonderful role model for women throughout the UK as she truly comes across as someone comfortable in her own skin. She always looks fabulous because she dresses well & looks content with who she is, weight included.

She is a beautiful woman who has a large male fan base, plus a scrummy celebrity chef husband. Fern is well liked and admired by colleagues, friends and the general UK public, both for personality and presenting ability. Isn't that a more healthy role model than the super slim icons who encourage eating disorders in young women?

Fern has typically been criticised in celebrity magazines and newspaper columns about her weight and body image after photographs of her emerged on holiday in a swimming costume. Fern hit back at the abuse she received saying 'I would rather be big and happy than on a diet and miserable'.

Fern also seems to love an opportunity to dress up and has been seen in some of the sexiest plus size eveningwear I have seen. You can get a similar look at Curvety.com.

Keep it up Fern, you look fab at fifty!