A Place In The Sun’s Laura Hamilton says she was once cruelly body-shamed over her legs aged 16

A Place In The Sun star Laura Hamilton has said that her legs are a ‘trigger’ after she was once cruelly body-shamed aged just 16.  

Talking in a new candid interview, the presenter, 38, admitted that she still finds it ‘hard’ when she receives negative comments on social media about her figure. 

Laura said that ‘with age’ she has released that ‘being happy’ is more important than worrying about what others think, although body-shaming can still leave her ‘hurt’. 

Gorgeous: A Place In The Sun star Laura Hamilton has said that her legs are a ‘trigger’ after she was once cruelly body-shamed aged just 16 (pictured in 2020) 

The presenter revealed that she was first cruelly body-shamed aged just 16 when someone shouted: ‘What are you doing out with legs like that?’

Talking to The Sun, Laura admitted: ‘You can’t unhear it. I still remember that comment clear as day. That was definitely a trigger that made my legs one of my body hang-ups.’

The TV star said that she was ‘always aware’ that she had ‘strong’ legs during ballet lessons when she was 14-years-old, adding that she has always had ‘curves and cellulite’. 

Laura said that she was left further ‘hurt’ after she appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2011 where ex judge Jason Gardiner ‘pointed out’ that she has ‘tree-trunk legs’. 

Candid: Talking in a new candid interview, the presenter, 38, admitted that she still finds it 'hard' when she receives negative comments on social media about her figure (pictured 2020)

Candid: Talking in a new candid interview, the presenter, 38, admitted that she still finds it ‘hard’ when she receives negative comments on social media about her figure (pictured 2020) 

After welcoming her two children – daughter Tahlia in 2015 and son Rocco in 2013 – with her husband Alex Goward, Laura, who weighed 13st, lost five stone.   

Talking about the time, Laura admitted that she had ‘never felt so confident’ about her legs but her friends were telling her that she ‘didn’t look like Laura’ anymore.

The TV star decided to overcome her ‘extreme diet’ as she didn’t want to have a ‘negative effect’ on her two children due to being a ‘role model’ to them. 

During this time, Laura was also diagnosed with rare autoimmune disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which leaves her with excessive bruising. 

'Happy': Laura said that 'with age' she has released that 'being happy' is more important than worrying about what others think, although body-shaming can still leave her 'hurt' (pictured 2020)

‘Happy’: Laura said that ‘with age’ she has released that ‘being happy’ is more important than worrying about what others think, although body-shaming can still leave her ‘hurt’ (pictured 2020) 

She said: ‘This diagnosis was a turning point. I thought, “Why on earth am I bothered by something so minor as cellulite?”‘

Laura added: ‘I’m happy to say I’ve got cellulite too but I sometimes find it hard when I receive comments on social media saying, “Oh, but you are too young for cellulite.”‘

The star added that ‘with age’ she has released that ‘being happy’ is more important than worrying about what others say with her children sweetly saying that they want ‘strong legs’ like her. 

In April, Laura discussed her battle with rare autoimmune disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which leaves her with excessive bruising.

'Hurt': Laura said that she was left further 'hurt' after she appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2011 where ex judge Jason Gardiner 'pointed out' that she has 'tree-trunk legs' (pictured far left in 2011)

‘Hurt’: Laura said that she was left further ‘hurt’ after she appeared on Dancing On Ice in 2011 where ex judge Jason Gardiner ‘pointed out’ that she has ‘tree-trunk legs’ (pictured far left in 2011)

The presenter first spoke about the condition, which is a blood disorder characterised by a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood, last year after she noticed changes in her body following the birth of daughter Tahlia in 2015.

At the time Laura, who had also been on ‘quite a strict diet’, discovered excessive bruising on her legs and was encouraged to see a doctor by her mother-in-law where she was later diagnosed with ITP.

Discussing her battle with the rare autoimmune disease in an interview with The Sun, the presenter admitted she was ‘quite fortunate’ and that she is able to ‘manage’ the condition.

Laura told the publication: ‘It’s something that’s kind of managed. I’m quite fortunate. It’s okay.’

Symptom: In April, Laura discussed her battle with rare autoimmune disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which leaves her with excessive bruising (pictured in September)

Symptom: In April, Laura discussed her battle with rare autoimmune disease, immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which leaves her with excessive bruising (pictured in September) 

The presenter also revealed that she was able to provide support to other people diagnosed with ITP after she received her Covid vaccine.     

Laura added: ‘I had quite a few people reach out to me saying, “How were you after you had the injection? Did you have bruising and stuff?” And it didn’t actually after I had the injection, but I did feel like I punched in my arm for like a week.’

The presenter also candidly reflected on the moment when she was diagnosed with ITP, saying at the time she weighed just 7st4lbs due to a ‘strict diet’ with people claiming the condition was caused by her weight loss.

Laura said that she ‘gradually’ realised that she needed to be a ‘good role model’ so she put some weight back on and is now ‘normal and healthy’.

Family: At the time Laura, who had also been on 'quite a strict diet', discovered excessive bruising on her legs and was encouraged to see a doctor by her mother-in-law where she was later diagnosed with ITP (pictured with daughter Tahlia in January)

Family: At the time Laura, who had also been on ‘quite a strict diet’, discovered excessive bruising on her legs and was encouraged to see a doctor by her mother-in-law where she was later diagnosed with ITP (pictured with daughter Tahlia in January) 

The TV star added that it was a ‘coincidence’ that she developed an autoimmune disease 10 months after her daughter Tahlia, now five, was born in 2015.

Laura continued: ‘But there were people going, “Oh it’s because you lost loads of weight”. And I gradually sort of thought, right, this isn’t good, I need to be a good role model and I put some weight back on.’ 

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a blood disorder characterised by a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are cells in the blood that help stop bleeding. 

A decrease in platelets can cause easy bruising, bleeding gums, and internal bleeding. This disease is caused by an immune reaction against one’s own platelets. It has also been called autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Laura first spoke about her battle with ITP in a candid interview with the Mirror last year where she admitted it was ‘terrifying’ discovering excessive bruises. 

She told the publication: ‘When Tahlia was about seven months old, I was due to drive to Portugal to film a fitness app, but a few days before I was due to go I started noticing all this bruising coming out on my legs.

‘At first I wondered if the bruises might have been caused by my diet. I was always someone who bruised quite easily anyway, but it was more than normal.’

Laura revealed that she was encouraged to see a doctor by her mother-in-law and that she thought bruising could have been due to having two young children. At the time her kids –  Tahlia, was seven months, while son Rocco was a toddler.

Reflective: Discussing her battle with the rare autoimmune disease in an interview with The Sun, the presenter admitted she was 'quite fortunate' and that she is able to 'manage' the condition

Reflective: Discussing her battle with the rare autoimmune disease in an interview with The Sun, the presenter admitted she was ‘quite fortunate’ and that she is able to ‘manage’ the condition  

The presenter was then diagnosed with ITP and they discovered that her platelet levels were ‘dangerously low’, with doctors explaining that she was at a potential risk of haemorrhaging and bleeding on the brain.

Laura said that while she was due to start on steroids, her platelet count improved by itself and she was able to not take medicine.

She added: ‘Once you’ve had ITP, it’s always there, so after you’ve had a flare-up it can happen again.’ 

Laura admitted that she can’t recall ‘one particular stressful situation’ which triggered ITP and that she thought it could have been her body dealing with her busy lifestyle. 

What is thrombocytopenia? (ITP)

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is a blood disorder characterised by a decrease in the number of platelets in the blood. 

Platelets are cells in the blood that help stop bleeding. A decrease in platelets can cause easy bruising, bleeding gums, and internal bleeding. 

This disease is caused by an immune reaction against one’s own platelets. It has also been called autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura. 

There are two forms of ITP

Acute thrombocytopenic purpura:

This usually affects young children, ages 2 to 6 years old. The symptoms may follow a viral illness, such as chickenpox. Acute ITP usually starts suddenly and the symptoms usually disappear in less than 6 months, often within a few weeks. Treatment is often not needed. The disorder usually does not recur. Acute ITP is the most common form of the disorder. 

Chronic thrombocytopenic purpura:

The onset of the disorder can happen at any age, and the symptoms can last a minimum of 6 months, several years, or a lifetime. Adults have this form more often than children do, but it does affect adolescents. Females have it more often than males. Chronic ITP can recur often and requires continual follow-up care with a blood specialist (hematologist). 

Causes  

  • Medications (including over-the-counter medications) can cause an allergy that cross-reacts with platelets.
  • Infections, typically viral infections, including the viruses that cause chicken pox, hepatitis C, and AIDS, can prompt antibodies that cross-react with platelets.
  • Pregnancy
  • Immune disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus
  • Low-grade lymphomas and leukaemias may produce abnormal antibodies against platelet proteins.
  • Sometimes the cause of immune thrombocytopenic purpura is not known. 

Symptoms

  • The purple colour of the skin after blood has ‘leaked’ under it. Persons with ITP may have large bruises from no known injury. Bruises can appear at the joints of elbows and knees just from movement.
  • Tiny red dots under the skin that are a result of very small bleeds.
  • Nosebleeds
  • Bleeding in the mouth and/or in and around the gums
  • Heavy menstrual periods
  • Blood in the vomit, urine, or stool
  • Bleeding in the head. This is the most dangerous symptom of ITP. Any head injury that occurs when there are not enough platelets to stop the bleeding can be life threatening.

SOURCE: Johns Hopkins Medicine