Latest news with #KatiePiper
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Still Beautiful by Katie Piper: Don't base your worth on what you look like
Still Beautiful by Katie Piper (DK Red £18.99, 272pp) Given that Katie Piper 's new book is called Still Beautiful you might think it would be full of advice and tips on looking 'good for your age' – a phrase she mentions but doesn't like. But it's the opposite of superficial; it has depth, with Piper insisting: 'How we appear on the outside is the least interesting thing about us.' That's a powerful statement, especially coming from her. Piper was, after all, a model in her early 20s, trying to make a living out of her good looks in the heyday of lads' mags until, aged 24, her life was forcibly turned on its axis after she was the victim of an acid attack. She tells of the years of painful recovery. She considered taking her own life. She dealt with a grieving process over her looks and youth being taken from her, but also had to cope with some repugnant reactions to her scarred face as it healed. More than that, the man who had arranged the attack had raped her only days before. Getting through it all – even turning much of it into positives – she realised 'that founding my worth on what I looked like or what others (particularly men) thought about me was incredibly shaky ground'. She learned to look to the inside to find her worth, her power, her purpose, and it's this message she wants to get across. She draws comparisons between her experience and how women can grapple with the subsidence of youth, their looks changing when aging for women is framed so negatively by (a patriarchal) society. Now in her 40s, she is not worried about getting older; she's thankful to be alive, keen to make the most of life, and she'd like others to feel equally empowered rather than focus on collagen loss. We must reject society's lessening of us, as jawlines slacken and fertility declines. Her premise: youth should not be synonymous with beauty and external beauty is not how we should value ourselves or accept our valuation. In the process she does, briefly, take aim at the beauty industry and media for focusing too much on youth. As a journalist who has spent many years of my career as a beauty editor, I don't blame her; I've always struggled with the term 'beauty industry' – it sounds like a Fifties housewife template for passive perfection. Thankfully, things are shifting, and the sector is becoming more about self-expression and self-care (Piper herself is a spokesperson for L'Oreal Paris) but despite all its modern inclusiveness, the business still finds it hard to extend that to women over 50. Mainly, though, Piper challenges society and women themselves to no longer accept the status quo. It's not all about looks, it's also about life looking – or not looking – the way we (or others) expected it to, and how and why those expectations arise for women in the first place. For those facing other challenges, such as losing a job or a big relationship, the realities of being a mother or not having children, being married or remaining single, this book serves up a generous helping of positive outlook and agency. A blend of advice, throwing down the ageism gauntlet, and a movingly honest biography, this is an easy, life-affirming, and empowering read. The arguments may not exactly be new but they're confidently and comprehensively argued, and the book deserves to kickstart bigger conversations. It's full of wisdom about making life happen for you not to you, that it's what's on the inside that counts, using your voice, valuing yourself, owning your power, your beliefs, your age, and the importance of grounding yourself in all of that because that's the stuff – like good advice – that doesn't age.
Daily Mail
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Love Island star Sophie Lee's surprising connection to beloved TV presenter
Love Island star Sophie Lee has a surprising connection to a beloved TV presenter and Loose Women star. The influencer, 29, who worked as a professional dancer and fire performer when she was 22 for 18-months, suffered horrific facial and chest burns during a freak accident in the United States. She was performing at a charity event in Chicago when the venue's air conditioning blew flames she was expelling from her mouth back into her face, leaving her with serious, life-threatening injuries. And after embarking in a career of motivational speaking and writing a book surrounding her incident, Sophie has grown close with beloved presenter, Katie Piper. Katie, 41, was the victim of a horrific acid attack set up by her ex-boyfriend when she was 24 - leaving her with severe scarring to her face, neck, chest, arms and hands. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. The influencer, 29, who worked as a professional dancer and fire performer when she was 22 for 18-months, suffered horrific facial and chest burns during a freak accident in the US She now works with Katie Piper 's foundation, which supports people living with burns and scars. Over the years, Sophie and Katie have been linked together on many occasions as Katie attended the model's book launch. The pair have also spoke alongside one another during an episode of Lorraine. The new Love Island series will kick off on Monday, June, 9, one week later than previous years. The last season of the ITV dating programme - which was the second All Stars version - ended in February, and saw Gabby Allen and Casey O'Gorman crowned champions, before their split earlier this month. Fans will be happy to know that it's not long before they will get their Love Island fix. A post shared on ITV's social media featured a snap unveiling the return date, along with the caption: 'Mark your calendar, you're invited to this year's hottest meeting... 'Agenda: Initial coupling, strategic navigation of red flags, and identification of potential long-term partnerships.' And after embarking in a career of motivational speaking and writing a book surrounding her incident, Sophie has grown close with beloved presenter, Katie Piper The launch date for Love Island 2025 has finally been revealed, and fans don't have long to wait, as the new series is set to kick off on Monday 9th June The first trailer for the new series was released on Monday, and showed host Maya Jama in a meeting with Love Island bosses, in the hope of making the show's 10th Anniversary series its most explosive yet. Maya - who starting hosting the show in 2023 - is seen in a boardroom called Love Island HQ and says: 'Right, this year Love Island needs something bigger, something bolder. I want ideas.' One person asks: 'Move it to the Isle of Wight?' Another asks: 'What if we turn it into musical?' leading Maya to sassily question the move with 'Why?' Another says in Japanese: 'Love Island, on ice?' to which Maya replies: 'Never!' Unhappy with all the suggestions, Maya pushes the paper off her desk and shouts: 'No!' She adds: 'This year I want more drama, more bombshells, more break-ups, more make-ups. I want more twists. I want more twists than ever.' NAME: Sophie Lee AGE: 29 FROM: Manchester OCCUPATION: Motivational Speaker and Author WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is fun, spontaneous, who has a lot of jokes and who is attentive. At the moment I'm only finding ones draped in red flags and 'do not cross' signs IF YOU WERE THE CEO OF SOMETHING, WHAT WOULD IT BE? I'm the CEO of empowerment. I want women to feel beautiful and validated in themselves and feel their best self. NAME: Dejon Noel Williams AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Semi-pro footballer and personal trainer WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is beautiful on the inside and out, looks after themselves and is healthy CLAIM TO FAME? My dad being an ex-professional footballer. I've met all kinds of famous people through him. When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice. Megan Moore NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 25 FROM: Southampton OCCUPATION: Payroll specialist WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'd like to meet someone who is tall, with a nice tan, nice eyes and a nice smile. He needs to have a good fashion sense and a really good, funny personality that I can get on with HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt, right now. But we're going to make sales and get on that corporate ladder and be booming. Profits, profits, profits! NAME: Tommy Bradley AGE: 22 FROM: Hertfordshire OCCUPATION: Landscape Gardener WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A girl who is very ambitious, with a big personality, caring, but also someone that doesn't take themselves too seriously. I don't know if that's asking for too much, but I want a bit of everything. I haven't got a specific type in terms of looks, though. WHAT WOULD YOU BE CEO OF? Taking hours to do my hair NAME: Alima Gagio AGE: 23 FROM: Glasgow OCCUPATION: Wealth Management Client Services Executive WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? A tall man with a handsome face. You know when you just look at a guy and they have that Disney prince look to them? That's it WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I think she'd hire me because I'm a good flirt. I always ask guys on a night out to guess which country I'm originally from. If they get it right, they can get my number. But they never guess correctly so it works really well if you don't want to give a guy your number. I'm originally from Guinea Bissau. If they're close and I really fancy them, I'll give them my number anyway. NAME: Ben Holbrough AGE: 23 FROM: Gloucester OCCUPATION: Private Hire Taxi driver WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone sexy, good looking, good chat, good vibes, nice teeth and good eye contact - they're all the traits I look for. Oh, and also a cute smile, I just look at you and know I can be around you all day, every day. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Bankrupt. I'd have been out of business a long time ago. That's exactly why I'm here. NAME: Helena Ford AGE: 29 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Cabin Crew WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Somebody funny or Northern. I feel like Northern people have much more banter than Southerners. If you look through my previous dating history, you'll see I clearly go for personality. You can pretty much laugh me into bed. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? I would say hire but then quickly fire soon after. It would only be a temporary contract. NAME: Megan Moore AGE: 24 FROM: Dublin OCCUPATION: Musical theatre performer and energy broker WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who doesn't take themselves too seriously and has a sense of humour. If they're not bad looking, that's always a plus. I love a boy that's a bit pasty, like Timothée Chalamet. I don't mind scrawny, or a bit of a 'dad bod'. I'm 5ft1 so any height really. CLAIM TO FAME? Me and my friends made a Derry Girls TikTok for Halloween and it went a bit viral around Brighton. Sometimes I get stopped in the street about it. I've also done Panto. NAME: Blu Chegini AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is family oriented, has a lot of love to give and a lot of love to receive. Personality goes a long way. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? She'd fire me, but I've got the charm to smooth things over with a girl. The fact I speak fluent Spanish comes in handy when it comes to flirting! Shakira Khan NAME: Shakira Khan AGE: 26 FROM: London OCCUPATION: Construction Project Manager WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone who is tall, charming, witty, with big arms, a good smile and just really funny. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LOVE LIFE? Booming, but they're all frogs. It's a busy love life but I've not found 'the husband', I'm looking for 'the one'. I'm looking for the ring. NAME: Harry Cooksley AGE: 30 FROM: Guildford OCCUPATION: Gold trader, semi-professional footballer and model WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? The girl next door that makes me laugh and can hold eye contact with me. I don't think I'd go for the most obvious girl, I like a real sweet girl. CLAIM TO FAME? I'm the body double for Declan Rice. So when he does a shoot, any body close ups will actually be me. You'll never see my face, but you'll see my shoulder or chest, that kind of thing. NAME: Conor Phillips AGE: 23 FROM: Limerick OCCUPATION: Professional rugby player WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR?Someone who is really sure of themselves, ambitious, a bit of a go-getter and good craic. I like dark eyes and I don't mind a dominant woman. WOULD MAYA HIRE YOU FOR YOUR FLIRTING SKILLS? Definitely hire. I ask girls if they want to go halves on a baby. It doesn't work, but it gets them laughing. It's an ice-breaker, not a serious question of course! NAME: Toni Laites AGE: 24 FROM: Connecticut OCCUPATION: Las Vegas Pool Cabana Server WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? I'm looking for darker hair, definitely muscular but not too muscular. Super fit. Clean hair cut. Someone that can make me laugh - I'm super outgoing. And someone that's quite active. Maybe one day we could start our own family together. I WANT TO DATE A BRITISH GUY BECAUSE... I've lived in three different states and I'm still single. It's time to try something new! I have some British friends and they're pretty charming. I think all Americans love a good accent. British men are just more polite, with better manners. NAME: Kyle Ashman AGE: 23 FROM: Stafford OCCUPATION: Water operative WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? Someone that's fun, confident and just themselves. I'd say I'd be hired. I just go with it, find something to compliment a girl on and go from there.
Daily Mirror
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Katie Piper says aging is a bereavement, but why do women fear growing older
Death comes for us all, but what does it say about us as a society when we view our aging bodies as a kind of early death? This week, presenter Katie Piper told audiences at Hay Festival that 'aging is like a bereavement,' as she promoted her new book Still Beautiful: On Age, Beauty and Owning Your Space. There is much to be commended for this book: not least in the celebration of the aging process, which is not granted to everyone. Growing older is a privilege. Katie explained that: "Women age out of the male gaze. I was ripped from the male gaze at 24. I didn't just become invisible. I became a target for people saying derogatory things." Katie added: "Sometimes we know we're losing somebody or something, and it's slow, it's gradual, and when it's ageing, we look down at our hands, we see they look different. We catch ourselves in the shop window, and everything's changed." While Katie's experiences may differ from most, there is a broader concern here. Why do women fear growing older? The spectre of the older woman feels almost cartoonish, I immediately think of Madam Mim in Disney's Sword in the Stone or the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella. Then there's the Bridget Jones's Diary where body weight and calorie intake was counted ad nauseum. Both the Disney cartoons and Bridget Jones show what is it like to exist beyond the male gaze, and it wasn't favourable. Horrifyingly, these unhinged, unkempt women were rolled out in movies consumed by young girls. These cultural moments that show the pains of being undesirable have grown tendrils, seeping into our collective fears. In recent years, there has been a staggering increase in Botox - with teenagers turning to the muscle relaxant to promote a more youthful look despite them being the very definition of young. High street clinics have popped up all over the country, offering 3 for 2 on areas of the face and Christmas deals. It's nothing short of dystopian. These frozen facial muscles are the very muscles that let us express anger and joy! Giving up the ability to express ourselves is a frightening development. For a period of time, there were movements that eradicated body-hair shame and celebrated bodies of all shapes and sizes for being unique and wonderful. And Pamela Anderson and Alicia Keys ditched make-up heavy red carpet looks. It felt liberating. But, if Katie's comments speak to anything it is that women are still shackled to the male gaze. Why does feeling undesirable to men cause not only feelings of being unworthy, but worse: as if we are not alive at all? It is vacuous to weigh a woman's worth by her appearance. But to tackle the issue at hand here, let's start with sentience first. Aging women are not warm corpses waiting to be buried. Growing older is not a kind of death. When did we start hating ourselves so much that we view aging as akin to being dead? There is nothing to be feared about 'aging out of the male gaze'. Nobody should be situating their worth in relation to the desire of others. Learning to love ourselves regardless of our appearance is a central tenet of living a happy life. But why are people, like Piper, viewing the aging process in this way? Possibly as it can come with restrictive employment opportunities, perhaps. As actresses such as Anne Hathaway and Emma Thompson have spoken out about not being cast in roles due to their age. In fact, Backstage reported that people over 40 acting in leading role is 21% for women while for men it is 34%. There is much to be angry about that women lose out on opportunities in the workplace as they age. Let's try and stay off the Botox so we can convey some of that fury. Helen Coffey at the Independent agreed with Piper, saying: 'Most of us are in the denial stage of grief' about aging. But also added: 'When we prize youth as the only thing worth having, we devalue the much more worthwhile gifts of wisdom and experience. When we strive to stay the same, we deny the much more rewarding path of evolution and growth.' It's time to stop unduly celebrating youth for youth's sake. A wrinkle on the forehead should not be a bump in the career, and it absolutely must not be read as a 'bereavement'. It is okay to feel unsteady that life is changing. That is natural. But we must begin to celebrate women's aging bodies, wrinkles, greys and all.
Cosmopolitan
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Revealed: Love Island 2025 contestant Sophie Lee's famous celebrity friends and existing Islander connections
Usually, contestants enter the Love Island villa will a few thousand followers and come out weeks later with a much bigger following, lots of brand deals and with a new celebrity status. But one contestant this year is already a mini celeb in their own right and has lots of celebrity pals to prove it. Sophie Lee, 29, was one of the first contestants to be announced this year. She used to work as a fire performer, until an an accident at the age of 22, left her with severe burns to the face. Now, she models for multiple brands and works as an activist promoting body positivity. Last year, she released her book In My Skin. Her line of work has led to her rubbing shoulders with a few celebs, including former Islanders. Read on to see who her celebrity pals are - from some Love Island faves to activist and burns survivor Katie Piper. Sophie appears to be pals with Sharon Gaffka, who appeared on season seven of the ITV2 dating show back in 2021. Sharon commented on one of Sophie's post with a series of clapping emojis and they also follow one another. Eve Gale, who was part of the show's first winter series in January 2020 alongside her twin sister Jess, frequently comments on Sophie's photos. She previously wrote: "Beautiful" with a love-heart emoji on a cute snap of the 29-year-old and on Sophie's holiday dump in March, Eve commented: "Livingggg" to which Sophie replied: "The same as you my love" with a love-heart emoji. Other Islanders who follow Sophie or have commented on her pics, include Gabby Allen, Zara Deniz (season nine), and Gabby Jeffery, who appeared on season 10. Last year September, Sophie supported The Traitors star Livi Dean at her book launch. She shared a photo with her, Livi and Katie Piper, alongside the caption: "Kick starting the week with a big congratulations to @ on the launch of her book 'My New Normal' The third publication of @katiepiper_ Unseen series. "I can't wait to read your story Livi! You are such a strong and inspirational woman, thank you for sharing your journey with the world." In November, Katie Piper and The Real Housewives of Cheshire's Lystra Adams commented clapping hands on Sophie Lee's post on her debut book In My Skin. Sophie is also friends with Gary Linker's brother and entrepreneur Wayne Lineker, who owns O Beach in Ibiza. The business man commented: "Incredible babe... nothing but an inspiration" on one of her previous posts. I guess we know who'll be getting all the celeb votes this year on Love Island... Love Island starts on ITV2 on Monday 9th June at 9pm.
Gulf Today
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Katie Piper's right, ageing as a woman is like a bereavement
Helen Coffey, The Independent 'Age is just a number,' goes the old adage. The new version should perhaps come with an addendum: 'Age is just a number — but one that your face and body should never reflect.' It was the recent words of presenter and activist Katie Piper that prompted this musing on our collective endeavour to erase the visible passage of time. 'Ageing can be compared to a bereavement,' the Loose Womenpanellist said at this year's Hay Festival while promoting her new book, Still Beautiful: On Age, Beauty and Owning Your Space. 'Sometimes we know we're losing somebody or something, and it's slow, it's gradual — and when it's ageing, we look down at our hands, we see they look different. We catch ourselves in the shop window, and everything's changed.' The 41-year-old's sentiments hit a nerve. I'm 38, a mere slip of a girl, surely, and yet I've already started having those out-of-body experiences — suddenly seeing a photo of myself taken from an unexpected angle and thinking, 'Who's she? That middle-aged woman with the chins and the deeply etched eye bags?' Or catching a glimpse in the mirror, brought up short by the marching silver threads that can never be beaten back no matter how often I dye my hair, because there's always more, more, more — a never-ending onslaught of grey to remind me that I'm getting older by the day. Piper, who has had to endure multiple surgeries to repair her face and eyesight ever since she was the victim of an acid attack orchestrated by an ex-boyfriend in 2008, has a very different relationship with her appearance compared to most of us. 'Women age out of the male gaze,' she said frankly. 'I was ripped from the male gaze at 24. I didn't just become invisible. I became a target for people saying derogatory things.' The reality is, everywhere you look, women are point-blank refusing to engage with the 'bereavement' of ageing; instead, they're locked into a relentless quest to freeze time and, increasingly, reverse it. This endeavour is nothing new. Though the modern iteration of 'anti-ageing products' can have been said to start in the first half of the 20th century, with the likes of Elizabeth Arden and Holly Rubinstein creating a mass market for their 'rejuvenation' treatments, go back a few centuries and you'll find Elizabethan women putting raw meat on their faces to turn back the clock. Travel further, to the first century BC, and Cleopatra was famously taking daily donkey milk baths for the same purpose. Hankering after youth and beauty is clearly hardwired into the human experience, the physical manifestation of our innate fear of death. But what has changed is the advancement of the technology to facilitate this age-old pursuit, and the extreme makeovers that are now being positioned by female celebrities as the gold standard towards which we should all be secretly striving. Or should that be 'make-unders' — as in, make this 60-year-old look underage, please? The most recent example to send shockwaves around the aesthetics world is Kris Jenner and her time-defying facelift. The woman is 69, but you'd never know that from her brand new £100,000 face. Rumoured to be her fifth surgery, and also rumoured to be a 'deep plane facelift' – because God forbid one of these women ever actually admit to what they're having done – the op has left her plump-cheeked, smooth-skinned and, ultimately, looking like an uncanny valley version of her daughter, Kim Kardashian. It's utterly mesmerising, the intricate artistry of someone who's arguably more wizard than plastic surgeon. Though Jenner is on one end of the spectrum – and perhaps feels like such measures are a prerequisite for being the matriarch of the nip-and-tuck-happy Kardashian dynasty – you don't have to look very far to see examples of Benjamin Buttons everywhere. Demi Moore, who has denied having various cosmetic procedures in the past, has fewer wrinkles at 62 than she did 20 years ago. Nicole Kidman has a face so taut it doesn't seem humanly possible that it's seen 57 trips around the sun.
