In an industry that often punishes outspoken women, Jameela Jamil is leaning into what she calls “white man energy” – a bold, unapologetic attitude that asks, why not me?
Warning: This story contains descriptions of eating disorders that some readers may find distressing.
This unshakeable pursuit of self-belief fuels both her career and her activism.
The actress, activist and podcast host recently joined Antoinette Lattouf on The Weekend Briefing to discuss everything from body image to diet culture and political resistance.
Listen to the Jameela Jamil full episode of The Weekend Briefing:
Best known for her role on The Good Place, Jamil doesn’t hold back as she reflects on the personal battles that shaped her public voice.
Career highlights overshadowed by negative comments
Jamil’s career began with a major milestone: becoming the first woman to host BBC Radio’s Official Chart Show—the UK’s equivalent of the Billboard 100—at just 26.
But even that breakthrough couldn’t shield her from media scrutiny.
“I gained 200,000 listeners in my first three months, which is unheard of because you normally lose listeners. And so for a woman to be able to do that was a huge achievement. And the Daily Mail decided to only publish the fact that I’d gained three dress sizes,” she says.
For over a year, tabloids continued to focus on her appearance. “Photographs of me plastered all over the magazines… documenting my weight gain and trying to embarrass me.”
Jamil has been open about how these relentless messages around her body led her to develop an eating disorder. The pressure to be thin, constantly reinforced by media coverage, contributed to years of disordered eating and body dysmorphia.
Now 39, Jamil is still managing the consequences of a long battle with anorexia.
“I’m struggling with lasting damage of having had anorexia for a very long time, so a lot of my health is really fucked up,” she shares.
“That’s why I’m so annoying and relentless about anorexia and eating disorder culture—because young people just don’t think it’s really gonna hurt them.”
Shifting the conversation around disordered eating
She wants to shift the conversation around disordered eating, especially for younger generations.
“You end up just being in pain every day and then you really regret the decisions you made just to be skinny when you were in your 20s.”
This lived experience led her to create Move for Mind, an initiative that reframes fitness as a tool for mental wellbeing.
“It was about finding a way to exercise that didn’t involve weight loss and eating disorder culture,” she explains.
“Because everyone needs to exercise, but a lot of people don’t because they feel as though it has to be towards a goal of looking a certain way.”
From challenging beauty standards to refusing to tone herself down, Jameela Jamil is carving her own lane – one that prioritises honesty over likeability.
Jameela is live in Australia later this month.
Article by Alexandria Funnell
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