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In
March 2009, teacher Julie was the heaviest she’d ever been at 20st and a
size 24. “I was utterly miserable,” she remembers.
“I’
d been big for ages, bar once when I went to Slimming World and lost 6st
in 2002 – I even won Slimmer of the Year.
“But just a year later I’d put all the weight back on and more and ended up
at 20st.
"Food was my comfort and I’d eat anything, with a particular weakness for
chocolate. It was so depressing.”
After a drastic decision to have
a gastric bypass, Julie’s weight plummeted.
Within 18 months, she’d hit 11st and could finally fit in to size 10-12
dresses.
“But I hated my boobs,” she says. “They were saggy and horrible and felt like
flaps of skin rather than breasts. There was no fat in them at all.
“
I couldn’t let my partner Tony even touch them. But on my wage I certainly
couldn’t afford to have an operation.”
After being crowned Miss
Cosmetic Surgery UK 2011,
she says she can’t
understand the fuss caused by giving away serious surgery.
“There was so much controversy about it, but I can honestly say it was one of
my best days.
“I never imagined I’d win and when my name was called out I was in shock –
but it was fabulous.
“I used the £3,000 prize to fund
my boob job in Tunisia.
I was a size 38A and
now I’m a perfect 38C and it’s changed my life.
“The
whole experience was amazing. I feel sexy and confident for the first
time in my life. Tony is thrilled, too, not that he complained about them
before, but because I’m so much happier.”
This year’s contestants hope they can find as much success as Julie, although
they are well aware of the furore surrounding the competition.
Stacey
Needham, a pharmacy dispenser from Stoke-on-Trent, had a gastric
bypass four years ago, followed by a tummy tuck. She’s now so desperate to have surgery to remove the loose skin her weight
loss left on her arms, she’s entered the competition, despite being terrified
about parading in front of the judges.
“I was big for as long as I can remember,” says Stacey, 29. “Chubby as a
toddler, I graduated to a size 16 when I started secondary school.
"
When I was 19 and 17st I met my ex-husband, but my size didn’t worry
him. I got pregnant with my son Harry, now 10, shortly afterwards and never lost
my pregnancy weight. On the contrary, I piled on more and more until I was
26st. “I hated being big but no diets worked. I tried them all, Slimming World,
WeightWatchers, even the Cabbage Soup Diet. But every time I’d lose a couple of
stone and stop.
“I cooked huge stodgy meals like pasta every night and would just eat and eat
and eat, but I’d still be hungry about an hour later. My stomach would literally
rumble with hunger.”
Stacey hated being so big. The last straw was when she went to the
supermarket and heard one of the staff say: “Here comes big fat Bertha.”
“I was absolutely mortified and wouldn’t go there again,” she recalls.
A few months later, in 2008, Stacey had a gastric bypass, paying for it by
taking £12,500 in equity out of her house. For the first two months she could
only eat purees and the weight fell off.
“Now I’m never hungry,” she says. “I have to remind myself to eat. After 18
months I got down to 10st 7lb and a size 12, which is fine for my 5ft 5in
height.”
It was then Stacey split up with her husband. “Losing weight made me realise
I wasn’t happy in the relationship and hadn’t been for a while,” she
recalls. “I finally had the confidence to realise I could cope
on my own. “I had a tummy tuck in June 2011 on the NHS as I had so much loose skin it
was getting infected.
"But in an ideal world I’d have skin taken from my arms, thighs and get my
boobs done – they’re a G cup but they’re all skin and no bust. I can’t afford it
and the NHS won’t pay for anything else.”
Stacey met a new partner just over a year ago, who is happy with her body.
But she’s still desperate for more surgery to make her transformation complete.
“I long to look normal,” says Stacey. “This competition feels like my only
option as I can’t afford to pay for anything else.
"I’m nervous about it though but I’m sure I’ll pluck up the courage as it’s
worth it for what I could win. I know it’s controversial but it’s my only
chance.”
Jean Hill, 55, agrees. The cleaner from Tewkesbury, Glos, is desperate to win more surgery because
of how well her first cosmetic procedure, a nose job, went.
“I’ve never liked my nose since I was a little girl,” says Jean. “When I
started secondary school at 11, I was dubbed ‘Concorde’ and by the time I was
about 16 I was so shy about it I wouldn’t have my photograph taken.
"I didn’t feel confident about going out – it always seemed a waste of time
to get dressed up and put on make-up. I’d feel that people were staring at my
nose.” Jean always dreamed of surgery but couldn’t afford it. So when she and
husband Timothy, also 55, sold their house in 2008, she decided to go for
it.
“I always wanted a nose job so when we had some spare money I decided on the
spur of the moment to have it done,” says Jean. “I didn’t tell Timothy before my
first consultation. “I spoke to the consultant and they booked
me in for a week later. When I
told Timothy he was surprised but very supportive and took me in for the
operation, which cost £3,500.
“I love my transformation. The first time I saw my nose I burst into tears of
joy – it’s changed my life. Now I love putting on make-up.
“I feel more confident than I did in my 30s. I work in Morrisons as a cleaner
and I enjoy chatting to the customers without feeling embarrassed about my
nose.”
Having had the surgery and realising how good it was made Jean want more.
“But I can’t afford it,” she explains. “So I decided to enter the pageant.
"I’d love some liposuction or my Caesarean scar removed or maybe some fillers
in my face to make me feel even better.
“I’ve kept fairly quiet about my surgery so far and I haven’t discussed
entering the competition with anyone but I’m not embarrassed about it.
"My nose job is something I’m pleased I did and I found it incredibly
rewarding.”
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