‘Loose Women’s Brenda Edwards has taken part in the show’s Body Stories campaign.
The 45-year-old star was photographed in swimwear for her own "uplifting and liberating" shoot as part of the campaign to encourage people to be confident in their own skin.
Speaking on Thursday’s (05.09.19) show about the initiative, which was launched in 2017 with nine members of the show’s panel, Brenda said: "I was at home and I was watching – before I was a Loose Woman, I avidly watched ‘Loose Women’ and I loved it and I loved the campaign and I found it very inspiring. The photograph that you ladies took was amazing.
"So yes, sneakily on Monday night I had a photoshoot with the wonderful [photographer] Nicky Johnston for my own Body Stories confidence campaign.
"It was fabulous. It was very uplifting and liberating. It was just about empowerment and being strong and loving my body."
Brenda also spoke about her relationship with her body, explaining: "I used to be very confident about my body. Just before I got pregnant with my first baby Jamal, I had a fabulous shape and I was confident with it. I was always wearing jumpsuits. I used to love my jumpsuits back then as well.
"After I had Jamal, I came out with loads of stretch marks all across my entire stomach. That made me immediately shy away from showing anything to do with my body. You definitely wouldn’t see me in a swimming costume, let alone a bikini.
"Whilst doing ‘Hairspray’ [the musical] in 2015 I found a lump… I went to see the doctors as I could still feel the lump. On the 6th January, I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, which was very frightening, scary. I didn’t know what to do, what to make of it or how to handle it. I had chemotherapy for six months and then went through that. All through it, when I told my children, they were like ‘Come on mum, you can be strong’. My friends and my family they were so supportive.
"I felt like, I’m going to get through this. It was an amazing eye opener for me. What I started to do was look at food differently as well as I don’t think I ate the right things for my body.
"It was actually this show I came on to announce I was going through it. I’ve watched you ladies – I felt if I come on and give my story I’ll feel strength."
Speaking about having a breast reconstruction after her mastectomy, Brenda added: "They took it from my stomach and the tissue and the skin and made a new breast for me on this [right] side… I had a new belly button made as well as the new breast. This is something that happens – I was quite shocked.
"I’m actually quite happy with how it looks now. I’ve got a scar there, but it’s not my stretch mark scars, that’s a silver lining I guess."
Brenda then surprised the panel by walking out in her swimsuit, with a selection of viewers who’d also been inspired by the campaign.
She said: "For me, it was this is me, this is what I’m about, if you don’t like it, tough, I don’t really care. My body, I’m really grateful that my body got me through the cancer, this is my body and I’m embracing me as much as I can."
Brenda Edwards joins Loose Women’s Body Stories campaign
