Hollyoaks actress Jessica Fox stunned in a swimsuit selfie as she opened up about having a ‘complicated’ relationship with her body.
The soap star, 40, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the candid post after giving birth to a son named River last March following two miscarriages.
Jessica, who has played Nancy Hayton in Hollyoaks since 2005, shared a photo of herself in a black plunging swimsuit with a scalloped lining as she gave fans a very relatable insight into how she felt about her body.
She revealed that the time she spent hating her body “would add up to weeks instead of hours” but said she would see it in the mirror in the swimsuit and feel positive.
“It’s not a perfect body, but it’s mine,” she said. ‘It became a bit human and I was lucky enough to be able to breastfeed.’
Hollyoaks actress Jessica Fox stunned in a swimsuit selfie as she opened up on Instagram on Tuesday about having a ‘complicated’ relationship with her body
Jessica’s message read: ‘Mama fit. Trying on a swimsuit at 11 p.m. with a full laundry basket behind me.
‘I think, like most people, I have a complicated relationship with my body. The amount of time I spent hating it would amount to weeks instead of hours.
“I feel like there’s so much noise about what we should look like, how we should exercise, what we should eat, feel, sleep and honestly… it’s exhausting! The goalposts change, but the pressure to be the perfect version of this year is the same.”
Jessica added, “BUT back to me. At this moment, when I looked at myself, I had no hatred, I thought it was quite ‘good’.
“He is now healthy and strong enough to play, roll around, chase, cuddle and carry and since it’s almost my birthday, that’s something to celebrate.”
The actress was flooded with support as several of her Hollyoaks co-stars commented and applauded her honesty.
‘You look very beautiful to me! ,” said Amy Conachan, who played Courtney Campbell on the soap from 2016 to 2021.
Current Hollyoaks star Jennifer Metcalfe [Mercedes McQueen] also showed support, saying: ‘Absolutely beautiful .’
The soap star, 40, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the candid post after giving birth to a son named River last March following two miscarriages
Jessica, who secretly married Nicholas in 2020, revealed she was pregnant in October 2022 and took to Instagram to share a photo of her baby scan
The actress was flooded with support as several of her Hollyoaks co-stars responded and applauded her honesty
Jessica welcomed her first child with husband Nicholas Willes, a baby boy named River, in March last year
“You look amazing ,” said Sophie Austin, who played Lindsey Butterfield from 2013 to 2016.
Stephanie Waring [Cindy Cunningham] shared a love heart and Sophie Porley [Ellie Nightingale] fire emojis posted.
Jessica’s body confession comes after she gave birth to her first child with husband Nicholas Willes in March 2023.
The new mom revealed that she and her husband Nicholas had named their son River, saying, “Baby River, you changed our world forever and we are so grateful to love you.”
Jessica shared a number of photos from the birth, including one of her first cuddles with her son as her husband watched.
Another photo showed Nicholas proudly carrying their baby out of the hospital, while she also shared a close-up photo of River’s hospital ID bracelet, which showed he was born on March 7.
Jessica, who secretly married Nicholas in 2020, revealed she was pregnant in October 2022 and took to Instagram to share a photo of her baby scan.
In the post, shared during Baby Loss Awareness Week, Jessica also opened up about her fertility journey, explaining that she had previously suffered two miscarriages.
Confirming her pregnancy, she wrote, “This week was Infant Loss Awareness Week.
The new mother announced that she and her husband Nicholas had named their son River, captioning a series of photos: “Baby River, you changed our world forever.”
Another photo showed Nicholas proudly carrying their baby out of the hospital, while she also shared a close-up photo of River’s hospital ID bracelet, which showed he was born on March 7.
Jessica opened up about her fertility journey, explaining that she had previously suffered two miscarriages
“So it seemed like a good (and bad) time to share our story at the end of such an important and heartbreaking campaign and to show our support for anyone who has experienced or is going through a similar journey.
‘Trigger warning: trying to conceive and conceiving after loss. Please use the mute or unfollow button if this is too much for you.
‘Out of difficulties grow miracles. Expected spring 2023.’
In a longer caption, shared as a series of screenshots alongside her post, she opened up about her fertility journey.
She wrote: “Nick and I have had a tough road to get to this point. A miscarriage is terrible, there is no other word for it.
‘It robs you of the future you had planned, your confidence in your body, it is isolating, lonely, scary and no one seems to talk about it.
‘It’s incredibly painful, it’s painful to pass out in your bathroom. It takes away the joy and excitement of when and if you choose (and are able) to get pregnant again.
“It has been replaced by fear, stress and more anxiety than I could ever have imagined. Nick and I lost two babies in 2021. Both losses occurred at the end of the first trimester and were completely heartbreaking.”
