Afua Hirsch: “Nobody gets to police our bodies!” How to reject beauty trends
Happy Place24 Helmi 2025

Afua Hirsch: “Nobody gets to police our bodies!” How to reject beauty trends

Do you get rid of your body hair? Do you hate your periods? Are you debating a nose job? Why? Writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch has been tracing how we’ve become so loathing of our bodies.

In this chat with Fearne, Afua explains where our modern, Western notions of beauty come from, and why she’s advocating for us to celebrate how powerful our bodies are.

She’s rediscovering and reclaiming rituals her ancestors will have done before Western ideals became the norm, and points out that wanting to change your facial features to conform to beauty trends will erase your ancestry.

Fearne and Afua chat about a desire for more fluidity around sexuality and identity, as well as why we should respect the wisdom that comes with age rather than fearing it.

Plus, how to dig deep and ask yourself: “Do I think this, or have I been taught this?”

Afua’s book, Decolonising My Body, is out now.

If you liked this episode of Happy Place, you might also like:

Emma Dabiri

Adele Roberts

Rebel Wilson

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(429)

Kris Hallenga

Kris Hallenga

When Kris was just 23 years old, she was told by doctors that she had an incurable breast cancer.You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is Kris' story ends... but, ten years on, she tells Fearne tha...

19 Marras 201843min

Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow

We're back for season two! And there's no better way to start than with Gary Barlow.In this chat with Fearne, the celebrated songwriter and Take That frontman talks candidly about his life after the g...

12 Marras 201846min

Emma Willis

Emma Willis

Surprise! We have a special bonus episode for you this week, in which Fearne talks to broadcaster and BFF Emma Willis about beauty: whether that's inner, outer or imagined. In return, we'd love it if ...

7 Touko 201824min

Gok Wan

Gok Wan

Gok Wan is a hard worker - and it’s his eye for detail and relentless drive that has endeared him to millions of TV viewers. But it’s also responsible for some of the more difficult times of his life,...

30 Huhti 201849min

Lena Headey

Lena Headey

When she's not playing Cersei Lannister in the hit show Game of Thrones, Lena Headey could kick back and relax. Not Lena. In this delightfully sweary interview with Fearne, the pair discuss life outsi...

23 Huhti 201829min

Kirsty Young

Kirsty Young

Can you be successful and stay grounded? After twelve years presenting radio's biggest interview show, Desert Island Discs, there are few people better placed to understand than Kirsty Young.From Nobe...

16 Huhti 201839min

Alexandra Shulman

Alexandra Shulman

What does it take to run one of the most influential magazines on the planet? And what do you need to be a great leader?Alexandra Shulman spent 25 years as the editor of British Vogue - here she tells...

9 Huhti 201841min

Zephyr Wildman

Zephyr Wildman

We will all lose someone close to us, and the way we cope with that is never certain. But the way Zephyr speaks about the death of her husband has been an inspiration to Fearne.In this episode we hear...

2 Huhti 201848min

Suosittua kategoriassa Yhteiskunta

olipa-kerran-otsikko
siita-on-vaikea-puhua
kaksi-aitia
gogin-ja-janin-maailmanhistoria
i-dont-like-mondays
uutiscast
joku-tietaa-jotain-2
antin-palautepalvelu
poks
kolme-kaannekohtaa
mamma-mia
aikalisa
sita
yopuolen-tarinoita-2
rss-murhan-anatomia
rss-nikotellen
meidan-pitais-puhua
lahko
rss-palmujen-varjoissa
loukussa