Ulrika Jonsson says naked photo was her ‘taking ownership’ of her body: ‘It is what it is’

Ulrika Jonsson shared a naked photo to raise awareness for men’s mental health, but she says the experience was also important for her taking ownership of her own body. 

The TV presenter, 53, shared a photo of her entirely nude except for a pair of wellington boots in her garden, pushing a wheelbarrow in support of men’s mental health campaign Bare Yourself. 

She revealed in her column for The Sun that it was important for her to accept her own body: ‘I cannot avoid seeing the excess skin, the cellulite on the back of my legs, the diminished muscle on my forearm, my ever-decreasing bum and my beloved varicose veins which I’ve had operated on no fewer than three times. 

‘But as my best friend Laura ­physically held my hand when I pressed the “go” button on Instagram, I felt I had to accept and take ownership of this nearly 54-year-old body. Own it. It is what it is. It’s given life to four beautiful, ungrateful children.’

She added: ‘I treat my body as a vessel for food and rum. It has carried four children for a total of three years. 

‘It has breastfed and gone up and down in size more often than a tart’s knickers. It has suffered operations and many invasive treatments.’ 

Ulrika says that posting the photo felt like a ‘step too far’ but she chose to do it as it was in aid of charity, and says her four children – Cameron, 26, Bo, 21, Martha, 17, and Malcolm, 13, ‘rolled their eyes’ at the image. 

She added that the naked photo was taken by her best friend Emma in her garden, and the pair then randomly spotted someone with a metal detector in the next field.

The post had been in aid of bereavement charity StrongMen and Ulrika nominated her celebrity pals Ore Oduba, Saira Khan, Jenny Stoute, James Cracknell and Richard Bertinet to do the same to raise awareness. 

She added: ‘It’s never unmanly to talk #BareYourself #nofilter #wearyourheartonyoursleeve #mensmentalheath #bereavement #charity #yourenotalone #timetotalk #naked #nude #nudierudie

‘NB. No flowers were harmed in the making of this.’

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