'If you think I'm a disabled hero you're not going to get that... you're going to get a joke about my tits'

Rosie Jones says she’s started wearing clothes to show that disabled people can be ‘sexual, flawed and confident’ – after years of dressing down to avoid attracting attention.

She said that when she was younger she was already self-conscious over her cerebral palsy and didn’t want flattering clothes that would attract more stares.

Plus, as a gay woman she did not want the eyes of men if she wore a  figure-hugging dress, even before she came out.

The comic spoke about her body confidence in a new episode of the  Boob Share  podcast from breast cancer awareness charity CoppaFeel!

Speaking about when she was younger, she told host Jackie Adedeji:  ‘When I turned on the telly or read magazines there was nobody like me. Disabled people, when they were shown, were always the victim or the blamed or the one in need of charity. They weren't the ones being sexy, shagging, going out for dinner.

‘When you frame it to my body and how I dressed, I was like "well people are already staring because I’m disabled, I don’t want to wear a figure-hugging dress because that would bring more attention".

‘Also subconsciously there was the fact I was queer and gay. If I wore a figure-hugging dress, it would attract men, and I didn’t want that. I wanted to go out with my friends under the radar.

‘When you relate that to representation, now I’ve gone the other way. I want to show that disabled people can be sexual, flawed and confident so now I will wear skirts and I love a dungaree.

‘I love that I’ve got a big belly but I’ve got a small waist so I love wearing little skirts. I like going out and going "hello, I’m disabled., I’m in charge of my own narrative and I want to show off every part of me".’

She added that although she ‘hated’ her belly when younger, body issues were lower down the list of her concerns.

‘Looking back now I didn’t really think about my body because I was navigating a world in which I was disabled and I secretly knew I was gay,’ she said.

‘If you rank my teenage issues it would be a) "oh god how do I live in a world of being disabled" and b), "oh god, how do I live in a world in which I’m gay." Lower down the list was "oh, I don’t think I like my body".

‘But it was never a major issue, it was just like, "right, I’ve got no time for that so I’ll hide it. My boobs grew overnight, no word of a lie. I was going through my old bras and I had a little B cup bra and I went straight to E.

‘I'd say a lot of my teenage years and unfortunately even into my early 20s, I hated my boobs. They were too big. I hated my belly, I’ve always had a belly.

‘I have lost weight and I do feel more confident with my body but I always have this belly. Now at 30 years old I had a revelation that I like food and I will never compromise so what I need to do is change my view on my body. I recently got some matching underwear and I looked at myself in a full-length mirror.

‘The belly was still there and for the first time ever I thought I looked sexy, I liked what I saw. It’s probably been a 15 year journey. For a lot of my teenage years I hid it but now I’m finally at a point where I love my big tits and I adore my big belly.’

She added that she was ‘not a fan’ of dieting but put on a stone in lockdown which she wanted to lose.’

‘I feel like now I have a healthier look,’ she said. ‘It’s knowing what makes you happy. With my disability it’s not all about aesthetics. I know that when I put a stone on it’s harder to walk and get around so it’s knowing I like food but then also managing expectations.’

Plus, she says, she has come to not care much about what other people think.

She said: ‘Being disabled and having cerebral palsy, people look at me and think about things I can't do and I have always been the opposite. I focus on the things I can do and the fact that we’re all alive and we only live once.

‘I am so unapologetic. I’m like, "Gello, I’m Rosie. I like me. If you don’t like me, you don’t need to be here. So either get on board or fuck off."

‘I would say, being disabled, people think, "Aww isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she nice?" I like to think that I’m a good person but actually if they're coming for me for wise words or that I’m a disabled hero of the people, you’re not going to get that. You’re going to get a joke about my tits. And that’s about it.’

That attitude has led to some people considering Jones a role model – which she admits she has mixed feelings about.

‘I don’t know how I feel about that,’ she said. ‘It’s such a nice thing and for ages I thought "I don’t like that, it feels like there’s too much pressure."

‘But actually when I think about my role models and inspirations in terms of comedy, my favourite comedian was Victoria Wood. If I had been able to say to her "you’re my role model" and she said "shut up, no I’m not. I’m not a role model," I would feel so offended.

So now I have decided to say "great, I’m glad you’re inspired or you can look up to me and I can help you.’" If I encourage people to do what they want to do, that’s a great thing. ‘

• New episodes of the Boob Share podcast are available every Monday on Global Player. Rosie Jones is also reporting on the Paralympics from Tokyo for the Last Leg, which continues on Channel 4 at 10pm nightly, and will guest on the episode of Joe Lycett's Got Your Back airing on September 10.

Published: 30 Aug 2021