A meteorologist who is eight months pregnant has hit back at body shamers with a powerful on-air speech after someone tweeted that her ‘skintight maternity attire’ is ‘disgusting’.
Kelsey McEwan of the Canadian morning show Your Morning took her critics to task this week when she shared a cruel tweet that someone had sent to the show to shame her for her maternity wear.
‘When what I’m wearing is what you find “disgusting” in this world — this week in particular — you need to check your priorities,’ the soon-to-be mother-of-two said on Wednesday morning’s show.
Not OK: Kelsey McEwan of the Canadian morning show Your Morning hit back at an online troll who called her ‘skintight’ maternity wear ‘disgusting’
Body shamer: The meteorologist, who is over eight months pregnant, was live on-air Wednesday when she shared the cruel tweet the show received from a viewer
Hitting back: Kelsey responded with a tweet telling the troll: ‘Time to check your priorities’
‘I’m a firm believer that my body and your body is no one’s business but your own,’ Kelsey added. ‘Your body is not for anyone to talk about … it is not anyone else’s business but your own.’
The meteorologist, who responded to the body-shaming message with a similar tweet, prefaced her speech by noting that for the majority of her pregnancy she has been ‘flooded with compliments and beautiful messages’ from viewers, but that was not the case the day before.
Kelsey explained that we are setting ourselves up for failure when ‘all we can talk about is our worth based on attractiveness’.
Wise words: ‘I’m a firm believer that my body and your body is no one’s business but your own,’ Kelsey said during her powerful on-air speech Wednesday
Think about it: Kelsey noted racism, hate and bullying are disgusting, not her maternity wear
Bathroom selfie: Kelsey took to Instagram last week to share a photo of herself showing off her baby bump
‘You what is disgusting? Not my wear, but racism and hate and bullying,’ she said. ‘So let’s stand up to that. ‘Let’s not just share the love. Let’s stand up to it and say enough is enough and that we are better than this. We are so much more than how we look.’
Kelsey added that although she appreciates the ‘lovely’ compliments she has received, they don’t build up her self-worth.
‘What people say — if you let it build you up, the criticisms are going to tear you down — so let’s find other ways to talk to each other,’ she said. ‘We’re better than this and we are so much more than how we look.’
Your Morning shared a video of Kelsey’s speech on its Twitter page this week using the hashtags #mybodyisnotyourconcern and #rockthebump in support of the meteorologist, and many people praised her for her candid speech.
Kind fans: The soon-to-be mother-of-two prefaced her speech by noting that for the majority of her pregnancy she has been ‘flooded with compliments and beautiful messages’
Spreading the word: ‘What people say — if you let it build you up, the criticisms are going to tear you down — so let’s find other ways to talk to each other,’ she said
‘Feeling proud’: Kelsey shared a message on Instagram on Wednesday to thank people for their positive responses to her speech
‘Good for you! I went through the same thing when I was pregnant & working on-air, and felt terrible. I applaud your response to this,’ television host Michelle Jobin commented.
Kelsey also took to Instagram on Wednesday after the show to say that she has been feeling empowered by the ‘amazing positive response’ she received while posting a note she had written regarding her speech.
‘Today, I got a little fired up,’ she wrote. ‘I am more than how I look. I am kind, smart, hard working and most importantly: no better or worse than anyone else because of my appearance. This is bigger than pregnancy.
‘This comes down to how we fundamentally rank (and treat) peoople based on how they look. Enough is enough. We are better.’