Zoe Ball has spoken out about the discomfort she experienced during 1990s photo shoots for 'lads' magazines, recalling pressure to conform to certain appearance standards. The television presenter, 56, shared on her podcast "Dig It" with Jo Whiley that she often felt ill at ease in clothing that was too constricting.
Ball described the feeling as akin to being a "stuffed pig" or a "sex doll," expressing a general dislike for having her photograph taken. She explained that the uncomfortable nature of these shoots, particularly those for male-oriented publications, was a long-standing issue.
"I did a couple of photoshoots, which I used to dread, any sort of male magazine shoots," Ball said. "As you know, I hate having my photo taken. I don't know how to sit. And people do your hair and makeup and you're like, I look like a stuffed pig. And I feel, I used to feel like a sex doll, like, oh, and just feel so horribly uncomfortable."
However, Ball noted that her perspective shifted when she began working with stylists and photographers who helped her find fashion she enjoyed. "But when I did a couple of shoots with great photographers and great stylists that put me in some fab things and I thought hang on a minute, I'm going to work this. So I had a few years of just loving fashion," she added.
Jo Whiley echoed similar sentiments, admitting to wearing "tight" garments in the past that were uncomfortable and potentially for the benefit of others. "Back in the day, I would definitely wear stuff that was just too tight and was horrendously uncomfortable. I don't know why I was doing it, for the male gaze or the public gaze," Whiley commented.
Ball has previously detailed experiences from her time co-hosting "Top Of The Pops," where she said she would arrive at studios to find "racks of tiny clothes" and be instructed to "straddle a chair" for photos. She reflected that the environment was predominantly male, and participants felt pressured to "play up to it a little bit," a sentiment that became clearer in retrospect.
Ball stated she did not feel empowered to refuse requests, saying, "There was no saying, 'I don't think she wants to do it,' you're conditioned to think, 'that's just how it is.'" She also remarked that she would be upset if her 16-year-old daughter, Nelly, had been subjected to similar demands.
Several lads' magazines from that era have since ceased publication. Loaded folded in March 2015 following the "Lose The Lads Mags" campaign, which led to their removal from supermarket shelves. Nuts printed its final issue in 2014, while Zoo and FHM stopped publishing the following year.