"Big Bella's Best"

I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) in 2022 after struggling with a wide array of symptoms, the most upsetting being rapid, uncontrollable weight gain.

PCOS is a complex hormonal condition and one of the most common causes of female infertility.

As a result of the sudden weight gain, I started to agonise mentally with my own body image issues. Being unhappy with the way I looked whilst being in the media and on TV for Racing.com had its own immense mental challenges.

Then, the online trolling and body shaming started on social media.

For months, I swept comments under the carpet, but countless posts from many different accounts kept flooding my social media, growing, becoming louder and feeling relentless.

I reached breaking point when I discovered an anonymous account called “Big Bella’s Best” on Twitter, which had been hurling sickening insults about my appearance and weight for weeks.

Enough was enough and I had to speak up.

I received an unimaginable amount of support from members of the racing community and from those outside our industry, and within a few hours the accounts were deleted.

I understand that being in the media can result in online bullying and harassment, social media can be a dark and brutal place.

I can cop criticism of my work, I have a thick skin for anything written negatively about myself professionally, but I drew the line at my physical appearance being assaulted – this, I will never tolerate.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/this-is-disgusting-horse-racing-analyst-exposes-parody-twitter-account/news-story/57f5a01a96a886967196b173d2ecee93

My weight has nothing to do with my worth, and my appearance doesn't impact my ability.