Channel 4
TV vicar Kate Bottley, star of Gogglebox, has urged the world to find beauty in everybody and not be narrow-minded about what it might consist of.
Bottley, reflecting on life after her recent 40th birthday, said the real point of beauty is that it comes from that "divine spark" that everybody has.
"Having a perfectly symmetrical face won't, in itself, make you happy. Some people will get that six-pack and still want something else. The nose job might never be enough. That's missing the point of beauty.
"From where I'm standing, it comes from that divine spark that I believe we've all got."
Speaking to this week's Radio Times she said she believes it is OK to plaster yourself in make-up and have your hair done every day if you want to. "All that matters is why you're doing it and who you're doing it for."
Advertisement
She does not consider herself particularly beautiful, she confesses. Most morning she wakes up, looks in the mirror and thinks: "Oh my word, you look old! That wrinkle wasn't there before," or "I'm sure my bum's got bigger."
She says she loves having her hair done and admits the Bible itself gives mixed messages on this subject.
There's a passage where the Lord said to Samuel, "For man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart".
Bottley continues: "But then you've got the Old Testament where David gazed on Bathsheba and said she possessed great beauty. This idea that beauty is a gift from God makes it a tricky one.
"If you believe, as I do, in a greater God that created humans in his own image, then when we look at other people we should see a reflection of the divine, we should see that humanity is his most beautiful work."
Earlier this year a study, The Good Childhood Report, found that young girls are becoming increasingly worried about how they look. Men feel the pressure, too, but women suffer particular double standards.
"They're meant to look beautiful all the time but are also judged for caring too much and sometimes deemed less professional or serious because of it."
Sponsored
Watch Your Favorite Christian Films, 24/7. Click Here To Start Your Free Trial TodayOriginal Article
