17 year-old Chloe Marshall is the first plus-sized finalist vying for the title of Miss England. At a reported 176 pounds and 5′ 10″ tall she’s a US Size 12 and isn’t your typical beauty contestant.
Chloe was on Good Morning America today in a brief segment which Barbara Walters obnoxiously introduced while gnawing on a roll. Chloe says she works out 4 days a week at the gym but that if she wants a chocolate bar she won’t deprive herself. She says Beyonce is her idol, because she’s curvy and proud.
Cloe wants to serve as a role model and says “I’m showing girls curvy is beautiful and this is what I am. Love me or hate me at the end of the day.” As for her size, she admits girls made fun of her in school but claims “I’m having the last laugh.”
Here’s the video from Good Morning America:
And here’s Chloe and her fellow Miss England finalists in a photo shoot on 4/4/08. Notice that the plus-sized contestant is the only one wearing a cover-up.
I admire this girl’s stance, but the snarky part of me thinks she must weigh over 176 pounds since that’s just a barely overweight BMI for her height. Good for Miss England for acknowledging her, although they could just be doing it for the publicity too.
Thanks to WENN for these photos.
No, she’s having the last slice of cake- you got the headline wrong, CB.
She has a very pretty face. I agree with the remark about her height and weight though– she’s just so tall for 176lbs to manifest itself like that, but then again, if you have much more fat than muscle, fat does weigh less. I only say this because I am 5’4″, curvy (I’ve got an ass for days), comfortably enjoy a size 8, and weigh 150.
The human body is a mysterious thing, and we all carry our weight differently, I guess.
This is a beautiful girl who just happens not to not be a stick figure. The world has convinced us that anorexia and bulemia are necessary to be a model but did they all forget about role models? Little girls need someone to look up to that is confident with the way they look and demonstrates poise and morals in their actions… not by starving for a living.
She’s gorgeous.
She doesn’t look like she’s got much muscle, I wouldn’t be surprised if she weighed 176, she’s very soft. So, the working out 4 days a week part is the only part I don’t buy.
That being said, she’s still lovely. Those pictures are NOT flattering, which I understand was the purpose.
The video wasn’t working, so I couldn’t watch it. 🙁
Can we get a middle ground somewhere??
Every time this argument comes up people line up on either the size 2 line or the 12 and above line. Whatever happened to sizes 6-10? Those to me would be a good, healthy size for anyone to be but hey, what do I know?
I am not at all the thinnest thing in the world, but i am a size 9 – 12 (U.S.) depending on the clothes and i stand proud at 6′ tall and this chick is no 176 pounds, nor is she a size 12. Just saying.
No way that chick is 176. She’s tall, so that much weight would balance out better on her. I’m gunning for 200. Not saying there’s anything wrong with that, I’m just saying she’s lying.
Oh hell naw this chick is NOT 176 lbs. No way. Did something get mixed up in the conversion? I’m 5’10.5″ and 186 and while I could stand to loose a few pounds, I look waaaay thinner than her.
She’s obese. It’s not normal. 😕
It looks to me like she’s pooching out her stomach to look worse. And the bikini top doesn’t fit right.
But since when is a size 12 a “plus size”? Wow. I thought that was over 18. At least that’s how they divide them up in the stores.
she is way more than a 12, i am 5’7 150lbs and i wear a 10, and look way thinner than her, she has to be over 200
just for the record, as people have ‘grown’ over the last few decades, clothing size have followed suit. in other words, a size 12 thirty years ago and a size 12 now are two totally different sizes…
people always use the example of maralyn monroe being a size 12, but rarely do we hear that the industry standard size twelve thirty years ago was inches smaller than it is now.
being anorexic is terrible for you, but so is being over weight. society shouldn’t encourage EITHER.
Size 12 – My ass!
OK… the video worked for me, and if you’ve seen it, she doesn’t look NEARLY as big in her dress as she does in those stills.
She’s gorgeous, and she’s not unhealthy.
Isn’t a size 12 in the UK more like 14 or 16 here?
Oops, never mind, I see it’s states she’s a 12 US, which seems a bit small. Just like when Kelly LeBrock (or whatever he name is, the weird science actress) said she was a size 12, she looked a lot larger to me.
her boobs must weight 15 pounds themsevles. im 5’10 at 190 and yeah i look thinner than her too.
you don’t look like she does simply from “not depriving” yourself. you don’t have to DEPRIVE to be thin. you get that way from OVERDOING it. esp when she says she works out 4 days a week: B. S.
i think she’s a beautiful girl but she is lying about working out 4 days a week and probably about her weight.
i’m 5’6 and a size 6 and still think i could lose some weight. but atleast she’s confident
I think she is beautiful and healthy looking. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and who is to say that skinny women are the best looking. I hope she wins the title but if she don’t, she has already won.
Dianna Wells Shire, author “The Ordinary Life of a Military Woman”
Liar! Liar! Sarong on fire!!!!!!!!
I am 5’7″ and weigh 175. I’m a size 14, that chick looks way bigger then me, seriously, I am not being vain about it.
She’s beautiful and is doing a courageous thing, it’s too bad she’s lying about her weight.
P.S.
I just had a baby (that was vain:)
She looks good.
Dress size has nothing to do with anything. I’m waaaay overweight at the moment (5’1″, 185 lbs), but I only wear a 12. Loosely, at that. It all depends on your height, skeletal frame, length of torso, and so on…and in my opinion, whatever excess weight this young lady may have, she *works* it. Girl is smokin’ hot!
Meh…..I don’t think that she is particularly pretty or particularly heavy. Boring. And I agree with Alexis……there is no way that she is under 190.
There is NO way this girl is a size 12!! At my heaviest I wore size 12 and I was no where that big on the lower half. I weighed 160 lbs and actually did size 12 fit modeling for my daughter’s design class, so I was an industry STANDARD size 12. I now walk daily and eat much better. I fluctuate between a size 8 and 10 and weigh 142 lbs, but frankly still use some of my size 12 pants when I’m feeling bloated. She’s a beautiful girl, but she is NOT a size 12. I don’t understand why people are afraid to admit they top out at a size larger than a size 12. It’s like they’re afraid that a size 12 is the absolute highest size one can admit to wearing. She is more likely a U.S. size 16 or 18. The only way she’s a 12 is on top and/or when wearing VERY, very stretchy pants.
They’re not curves darling, they’re fat rolls.
She’s clearly overweight. Its not healthy and it shouldn’t be normalised.
Size 12 US is Size 16 UK, which is the upper limit of most “high street” stores, and the lower limit of most UK plus-size stores. So she’s on the boundary of “normal” and “plus-sized”.
The photos are clearly unflattering, as photos tend to be for women who are not stick-thin, as stick-thin women don’t have any fat at all to bunch up in awkward poses. Yes, she’s probably a bit overweight, but whatever. I’m thinner than her and I’d gain 50 lbs if I could have a face that looked like hers!
Guys, she’s a UK size 16 not 12. From the Daily Mail:
First ever size 16 girl reaches Miss England final
Chloe, from Guildford, is 12st 8lb, 5ft 10in tall and has a 38DD bust.
That’s not a very flattering pic of her, she looks much firmer in other pics.
The UK size 16 statement seems quite accurate regarding the video I’ve seen of her. I find she looks like a UK16…
As for her measurements and weight : there is little chance they are wrong about it as it has been officially checked for the contest.
As geronimo said earlier, she does look firmer and slimmer in other pictures of her and in the video posted in this post.
She’s pretty and has managed to keep the naive beauty in her face although she has been through a lot of crictism and mockery which I find very inspiring for all growing girls (since most of them have something physical they are uneasy with and get laughed with).
The real message is about diversity and winning in life not just “with” your differences but “thanks to”. Being overweight is not the goal message she sends out, as far as I’m concerned.
Well, all those other Miss England finalists seem to be the right shape (not too big or too small) so her excuse that all girls in this contest are all stick thin are not accurate. She is overweight and on top of that she is lying about her real body size to herself and others so that tells me that she is really not that proud and confident with her ‘curves’.
I agree with headache, can we just get a middle ground somewhere?
We do not have to put down thin people just to glorify ‘curvy’ overweight people and the same the other way around. Besides, it surprises me when the public seems to attack skinny people for setting a bad example but in reality the world (especially America)is getting fatter and fatter with doctors warning (like how the rate for heart problems for men mostly has sky rocketed in past recent years) them about the dangers yet they still refuse to listen to them for their own good but now they seem to glorify it even more which is shocking. And yes, this girl is overweight and unhealthy especial her being only 17 years old.
Also, if you learn more about anorexia and other eating disorders you would realize that the cause of that is not because young boys and girls particular idolize skinny celebs and want to be like them, but because it is just an effect, similar to OCD patients that have to do different things (their action may be different with each OCD patient ) in order to handle their pressures of their life style. It is a mental thing, it is not as easy as a person looking at a Nicole Richies picture and suddenly choose to starve herself, it is much deeper then that.
So when ever this issue come up I often feel that society has became very insensitive to the people who have this eating disorders and all this things that curvy (overweight) a ‘really women’ and so on, it surely does not help them get over this illness.
Wow, I really admire some of you for your thoughtful and compassionate comments about this. I agree that I do not think she is a size 12. I am 5’9″ and 175 lbs and I wear a US size 12. And I can tell you, my thighs are not nearly as thick as hers, and my belly doesn’t stick out like that. I agree that it is very dependent on your build and bone structure, but I find it hard to believe that she could fit into a size 12 (US). I also think you are right, Bellatrix, the message isn’t that it’s ok to be overweight and unhealthy, it’s that if you aren’t model thin you can still feel good about yourself.
Enonymouse, I´ve had eating disorders… and as far as I know I starved myself to get thin YES,but not because the mags were saying so…but just because I WANTED to be thin! To an extent that I couldn´t care less about my health! It does affect your brains you know…
But the more skinny I got, the more skinnier I wanted to be! Its kind of an empowerful feeling you get when you start loosing weight…the feeling of achievement! And you get addicted to that! Which finally leads to
the disease you discribed above…anorexia nervosa!
There is whole process…and its not like ya wake up one day with anorexia!
But in all cases theres some pretty serious external factors to be considered! Not just to blame on brain chemicals !!! And the MEDIA can yes be a determinant factor there a long with the rest of the society!
Larissa that was my point.
yeah weight is weird. Im 5’2 and a size 4 and I hover around 130 all the time. People are shocked usually. I have muscle and stuff so … who knows.
I agree it took me years to figure out a middle ground. I used to think you either have to be on a diet or you eat ANYTHING you want … there is a middle ground. somedays being bad but regulating yourself so you don’t fluxtuate too much etc. where are sizes 4-8? They’re britney and jessica simpson being ridiculed for no longer being their size 0 selves. thats where they are.
I think this girl is way hotter than the other bags of bones in this picture… but mostly cause she has a prettier face. But her body is preatty firm and curvey.
I am 5’9.5″ and when I weighed 165lbs I was a size 12 (US) so it’s totally plausible. My measurements were 36-34-38 and I did an hour of excercise every other day (I had to walk to school)
Now I’m obviously the same height, weigh 134 lbs and measure 31-26-32 so c’mon – you never can tell
I am a size 5 juniors…and I have “curves” I am by no means a stick but even at a size 5 I still goto stores and they think that that is a big size…for real? I don’t get it what is skinny? And I am glad she stands her ground I don’t think girls like paris who have the body I had @ 10 are attractive…but if she is going to compete she should have to follow the same rules no cover ups for her suit she should be just like the rest of them! And I must agree that girl don’t wear no size 12..nor weigh 176
Cameras make everyone look heavier.
By working out, she might mean muscle training. If she lifts weights, she could be quite strong but have lots of soft layers on the outside.
She definitely has presence.
Dress sizes are all over the place, since ladies have waist measurements and hip measurements to worry about. My top is 3 to 4 sizes larger than my bottom.
I think she is lovely.
All of the snarky comments about how fat she is is exactly why people have eating disorders in the first place. Why should everyone look the same?
And she looks perfectly healthy to me.
This girl is WAAAY over 176 lbs. When you factor in the fact that she claims to work out 4x a week-muscle weights more than fat due to density-and she still appears to be considerably overweight at 5’10”, she’s AT LEAST putting the scale at 225. I’m 5’8″, 160 lbs, I work out EVERY day, and I still waver between a 10-12. There’s no way she is either a US size 12 OR 176lbs. Liar, liar…
Wow. I’m impressed that most commentators are determined to vilify her. Isn’t her larger message that there are variations to what is beautiful, not “she’s lying about her weight/exercise regime!” You people disgust me. 🙁
shut up, she’s gorgeous.
some girls would kill for looks like that.
at least she’s proud of her body.
all you skinny 90 lb. twigs,
who are saying she’s fat,
should get punched in the face.
AC Same here, anyway, who cares what size she is? She’s a big girl but she likes the way she looks. AS opposed to those skinny ass twigs Hollyweird loves!
After she’s harpooned, the dock scales will tip at 210.
Beauty is not just thin.
Don’t matter if she es 200 pounds, she has her beauty and she is Sexy! too.
Think of it, if all the girls were thin,life would be very boring for us men!
With supposabley 65% of Americans over weight one would think that at least the U.S. re-think its Twiggy mentality. Most likely the government and the allowance of hormones, pesticides, insecticides, additives, and artificial this or that has messed with the natural balance of weigh in some people anyhow.
It is time the PUBLIC spoke up and took a stand instead of a few fat heads in Hollywood.
I like how many of you are saying she weighs more than she says and she’s fat. Very nice. Although I don’t really think that swimsuit does her any justice. I think it’s great that she loves her body.
I love it, these morons, mostly skinflints and men who are probably overweight themselves, putting this girl down. I’m sure if she read these comments she’d just laugh at the idiots you all make yourselves out to be. Go home and eat something or get off your computer and do something.
I think that this woman is absolutly beautiful. She is the epitome of what a real woman looks like. She looks like a Goddess to me! Healthy and Happy. I dont think bones protruding from some skeletal starved body is hot at all. Her body is beautiful!
i don’t really believe she is only a size twelve, however she does look great. she’s one of the lucky ones that her weight doesn’t manifest itself in her face, otherwise she wouldn’t have made it so far. when my sister gained her weight, before she lost it again, it was all in her face, she had puffy cheeks and no neck.
also, i don’t believe anonymouse’s comments that her hips are 32″. skinny hips is 37″, so either she’s bordering on skeleton or just lying. I’m 5’6″, weigh almost 140, have measurements of 35(bust)28(waist)40(hips), and wear a size 10.
While I respect her for being brave to challenge the norm, I hope she doesn’t become a role model to young girls, telling them it’s ok to be unhealthy.
I’d be very interested in her lipids panel, blood sugar and A1C, and a heart scan as compared to the other contestants, none of whom look anorexic at all (there’s usually at least one, but thankfully that seems to be improving, because they’re unhealthy and unattractive too).
I agree with all the others saying she’s probably more than she’s claiming. I to am close to her height, and I weigh a bit less than she’s claiming, however she’s a LOT fatter than me in a lot of places. My age is NOT an excuse, and I’m am losing slowly but surely (I’m probably a bit older than her mother).
If she’s got such an attractive figure, then why is she the only one wearing a cover skirt
I’m guessing at least 230#.
Good for her. Stop picking on her for her weight. She is cute. Everyone is making this about her weight! SO WHAT.. She won. Good For Her!
All these poor women saying there’s no way she ways x amount because they way Y, and they look smaller than her. It’s pitiful. Women have so much pressure to look a certain way that when one woman comes out in a public way and says screw you, I am a big girl, deal with it–the women of the world flip out.
And I totally believe she works out 4 times a week–working out burns a limited number of calories and if you consume more than you burn, you will carry extra weight.
Promoting an unhealthy body image is a bad deal, regardless of what direction the promotion goes. Overly skinny girls in magazines and such can obviously affect people (although, as pointed out by somebody above eating disorders can have roots in something much deeper than magazines and the media), but same goes the other way around.
Why would it be a good idea to suggest people to be heavier than what’s healthy? I don’t see how anybody could claim that she looks perfectly healthy. That’s proof of a skewed perspective.
It’s good, however, that she loves herself and her body. That’s good for her.
I agree. There is a difference between knowing you don’t have to be rail thin and promoting obesity. The backlash towards “thin is in” shouldn’t be the other side of the spectrum.
my girlfriend is 168 lbs and is 5 foot 1 inch, and shes has a far sexier figure than as this girl, shes really curvy but without the folds of flab that this bird has got loads of, if shes 5 ft 10 then shes way heavier that she says
i have to say i dont know how you can call her a wale or obese, she is beautiful. She has made a statement and thats more than other beauty pageant winners have made. There all boring average blonde hair big boobs with the constipated pretty but dumb look on their faces. Known of those other girls stand out in any way what so ever. This girl is beautiful, curageous and inspiring I think those of you who are critiscing her should probably look at your own ‘fat rolls’ before crucifing her for being proud of her body in a way very few woman today can do. You go Chloe!!!
Chloe is not heavier than what’s healthy. She could even gain weight and even than she still stays healthy! She is an active squash-player and her body is beautiful, gorgeous and far more better and sexier then the shrimps over here who think they have a good taste or know anything about health. She looks perfectly healthy and is an example for every woman.
ok, anyone who thinks she is healthy or skinny must be blind, seeing as how that large swimsuit is tight on her.
also notice her chunky stomach, and all those rolls. at her age (only bieng 17), she would be considered morbidly obese. 175 lbs.? more like 230 lbs.!
alot of people are saying shes as big as the average person, but whens the last time youve walked down the street and everyone was as big as king kong? thought so.
This girl is SOOOOOO fine . It’s indescribable how beautiful and genuine she is !!! A photo of a REAL , normal woman in a bikini actually being published !!!!!!!!!! I am in LOVE !!!! I’d MUCH rather have her than the anorexics you see these days . She’s REAL !!!! She doesn’t need silicone breast implants !!!!!!!!!! She has the REAL thing !!!!!!!!!!!!! She IS the REAL thing !!!!!!!! I want more !!!!!!
She’s the sexiest girl there. Damn!
176 my ass.
I would guess more about 200.
Times are changing and sizes 12-26 represent plus size in the industry. As we may never know how much Miss England really weighs or what size she really wears, women shouldn’t worry about size. Size is just an indicator of what flatters your body best not how big you are.
id say u guys r over estimating her weight… i mean 5ft 10 & 200 lbs is getting to fucking obese… personally is say she was somewhere between 180 & 190