'The Only Way is Essex' star Charlie King hits back at online troll and opens up about body dysmorphia struggle

Former 'The Only Way is Essex' star Charlie King. Photo by Instagram/charlie_king85.Former 'The Only Way is Essex' star Charlie King. Photo by Instagram/charlie_king85.
Former 'The Only Way is Essex' star Charlie King. Photo by Instagram/charlie_king85. | Instagram/charlie_king85
A former “The Only Way Is Essex” star has called out an online troll and has opened up about his struggles with his looks.

Charlie King, now aged 38, starred in the popular E4 reality show from 2012 to 2013, when he was in his late 20s, and appeared again in 2017, when he was 32.

He took to Instagram to tell his 88,000 followers about a rude direct message he had received on the platform from a troll, calling them out for their unkindness.

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The message read: “Love yourself much? Thought you had some body image problem, but you’re showing off thinking you’re something gr8. Embarrassing.” King posted the message to his Stories while saying tha he doesn’t “usually respond to s****y DMs.”

The media personality went on to open up about the fact he had spent “many wasted hours” picking flaws in himself and said his self-confidence issues had hindered his career. He explained that he “withdrew from social situations and lost opportunities”, due to his lack of confidence. He added: “I was even up for a big TV show and failed a psych test because my mental health was not in a good place.” He did not reveal what the “big TV show” was.

However, he reassured fans by saying he is now in a much better place. “Fast forward a few years and I actually am embracing all that I am,” he said. He added a message addressing the troll’s comments directly. “If that means loving myself, or thinking “I’m all that” then let me have it. It’s actually not the case, life is short, time goes by so fast, our bodies age and you never get time back.”

He then wrote a message for the troll themselves: “I don’t know who p****ed you off enough today for you to come and send some negative vibes my way!! Don’t try to upset someone just because you are perceiving things a certain way. Life is too short for this c***!”

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What is body dysmorphia?

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), or body dysmorphia, is a mental health condition where a person spends a lot of time worrying about flaws in their appearance. These flaws are often unnoticeable to others, according to the NHS.

People of any age can have BDD, but it's most common in teenagers and young adults. It affects both men and women. Having BDD does not mean you're vain or self-obsessed. It can be very upsetting and have a big impact on your life.

You might have body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) if you:

  • worry a lot about a specific area of your body (particularly your face)
  • spend a lot of time comparing your looks with other people's
  • look at yourself in mirrors a lot or avoid mirrors altogether
  • go to a lot of effort to conceal flaws – for example, by spending a long time combing your hair, applying make-up or choosing clothes
  • pick at your skin to make it "smooth"

You should seek help from your doctor if you think you have BDD.

A few hours later King, who is also a model and coach, published a follow-up message thanking his fans for their support. He wrote: "I don't usually give negative the time of day. But for some reason that one triggered me. But honestly, the kindness so many of you show me is worth a billion x more than one stupid message.”

"So I'm gonna focus on that, the good energy and a new day. Thanks for having my back you incredible lot. Love you. Let's continue loving ourselves and believing we are dat b***h."

King has previously been open about his issues surrounding body image and suffering from body dysmorphia. He first spoke out on “Steph’s Packed Lunch” in October 2021. Sharing a clip of himself on the show on his Instagram at the time, King wrote: “From obsessing in the gym about my body to having plastic surgery on my face to “fix” what I thought was an issue stopping me from reaching my full potential. It’s been a pretty rough time to say the least living under a constant pressure & negative view of myself. This quest for perfection & acceptance spiralled out of control & now it’s time to focus on taking that control back!”

Then, in May 2022, he spoke in Parliament about the impact of body image on mental health. At the time, he wrote on his Instagram: “I really hope by sharing my story of surgery, mens mental health & body dysmorphia it can help the health committee to make some decisions / plans around how things are regulated.”

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