As the debate over body image rages, Ricki-Lee Coulter tells Clare Rigden why she’s proud to fly the flag for average-sized Aussie women.
As images of slender Jennifer Hawkins and unretouched shots of Bianca Dye cause controversy across Australia, there’s never been a better time for women to stand up and be counted as beautiful no matter what they weigh.
And just to prove beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, out-and-proud hourglass songstress Ricki-Lee Coulter couldn’t be more relaxed as she poses in her swimwear, looking every inch a supermodel as she flashes her famously sunny smile for the cameras.
“This is what I really look like” she says. “I’m not ashamed of showing my curves to the world. I’m the same size as the average woman in Australia – a size 14.”
Ricki-Lee is so passionate about body honesty, the brave singer sent us a clear instruction about airbrushing weeks before this Bali shoot took place: “My only request is no retouching of my body or shape,” she wrote.
Ricki-Lee’s decision to skip the airbrush shows her willingness to embrace her body in the competitive showbiz world, which is largely dominated by size 10 or smaller.
“There’s a big divide between fashion models like Jennifer Hawkins and the average size 14 or 16 woman in Australia, and I understand how there’s a struggle to relate,” Ricki-Lee says.
“Jen looks beautiful on the cover and I applaud any woman who is prepared to appear in print without any airbrushing. But I love the photo of Bianca Dye that shows her sexy killer curves.
I think a lot of women will look at her and think this is what a real woman looks like.”
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