The latest round of The Bachelor contestants have become accustomed to life in the public spotlight since the show aired on Channel 10 a few months ago.
And while all newfound fame has its perks, senseless criticism in the media can be difficult to escape.
So when Rachael Gouvignon, 31, and Faith Williams, 26, went on a Bali getaway last week to a private villa with other ex-contestants, they thought they were safe from the prying eyes of the Australian paparazzi.
But this week they woke up one morning to discover a lurking photographer had snapped unflattering photos of them in bikinis, and published them on a major news site.
Not just that, but the women were accused of not being “real” in the poolside photos they posted on social media, with side-by-side comparisons of the paparazzi and Instagram images.
The cruel sentiment did not go unnoticed by readers, with one describing it as “peak bitchy” on Twitter.
Williams said she was concerned about the message such vicious coverage was sending to other women.
"Everyone knows that social media is where you show the highlights of what’s going on in your life, so of course I’m going to share photos where I’m enjoying life and I feel confident," she explained.
"I don’t think I’ve ever really thought about posting a photo on my Insta with a double chin... Have you?"
Williams also didn't want to let any publication "get away being horrible" or insinuate it was "not OK to post photos that make you feel confident."
"We need to build each other up, not bring each other down," she concluded. Amen to that.
Top Comments
She expects The Daily Mail, a clickbait tabloid, to promote a positive body image, meanwhile she's taking bikini pics and photoshopping/tweaking them to look unrealistically better...well she could promote a positive body image but...lol.
I do think it's absolutely appalling that paps would take photos in their private villa - that is terrible. However, the girls claims that their concerns are that it encourages bad body image and body shaming ring a bit hollow to me, when the whole focus of the DM article was "this is what the girls really looks like vs what they post on social media, social media isn't reality". It actually made me feel better about myself, as a reminder that people looking glam in instag doesn't mean they look any different to anyone else in real life.