Mum earns $90k a month after police mugshot went viral
By Amy Reast
A mum has seen her adult modelling career skyrocket - after her MUGSHOT went viral.
Abbie Newman, 28, spent four days in jail in November last year after being arrested for drunken shoplifting.
After her release she discovered her mugshot had been shared on 'mugshawtys' - an Instagram account dedicated to 'hot' felons.
The social media post changed Abbie's life - increasing her OnlyFans subscribers.
She is now making up to $90k a month, has received modelling offers - and has even appeared on TV.
Abbie, from Atlanta, Georgia, said: "When I got out of jail, my mugshot was everywhere.
"People were joking 'she didn't steal from the store, but she stole my heart'.
"I had a bunch of people emailing me about modelling contracts - and my OnlyFans spiked.
"The first time I logged back on I had made $24k in a week when I hadn't even posted anything!
"My best month was December where I made $92,328.
"It's changed my life completely - now I've paid off all my debts and I'm thankful to be where I am now.
"If I went back, I would never get arrested again, I know nothing good comes of that.
"But I feel blessed because this was just luck for me - a lot of people don't even get second chances and I think I'm on my tenth by now."
Abbie has had a tough life.
She experienced sexual trauma at a young age, has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and struggled with a heroin addiction.
She first decided to start OnlyFans in 2021 with a dominatrix-style page - but would only post solo content or with her fiancé, Haze Jenkins, 22.
She would make $3k to $5k per month on the site - enough to pay bills and rent and support her son - but was "just getting by".
An incident where she "got into a fight" in April 2023 saw her arrested for the first time before being released after six hours in a cell.
But in September Abbie went through a miscarriage at 14 weeks, which left her hospialised.
This left her "in the deep end" for some time as her mental health spiralled - and she took to drinking, although never relapsed back to drugs.
During this dark spell she ended up drunkenly shoplifting from a Walmart - stealing Christmas decorations, a coffee mug and a blanket - and was arrested for a second time in November.
The mum-of-one spent four days in jail before being convicted of theft by shoplifting, but was released after being given probation for six months.
Days after she was released she spotted her mugshot had appeared on @Mugshawtys on Instagram - amassing over 20,000 likes as people joked she 'stole their hearts'.
The account has more than 680k followers.
Her OnlyFans following began to grow too as people realised who she was.
The following month her older mugshot was shared by the account - gaining her an even larger following for her steamy content.
Abbie said: "I logged on for the first time in a week and saw I had made $24k."
Incredibly because of the viral posts she soon found herself inundated with modelling contracts.
She was even flown out to New York to appear on The Steve Wilkos Show - and the money and opportunities just kept growing and growing.
She said: "I only used OnlyFans to put food on the table and pay my bills but it really skyrocketed.
"In December 2023 I made $92k - that was my best month.
"Before the mugshots, I was doing ok financially and I wasn't missing rent, but I wasn't able to do the things I am now.
"I have paid off all my debts including $46k from a car wreck I got in, and I can take my family on vacations.
"It's funny how life works - in America, for some reason if you look good and you're a criminal, you make money.
"People compare me to Jeremy Meeks - when his mugshot went viral his life totally changed too."
She added: "I've had a lot of time to reflect now and I have a great life and a healthy son.
"I went through a hard time but I've learnt to have a positive outlook and I consider myself very blessed.
"I don't even know who shared my mugshot with that Instagram page but it's changed my life completely."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
“I’m a leap year baby - I'm 28 but also aged seven"
By Hannah Van De Peer
A leap year baby who is 28 but has only had seven birthdays - says it's "special" to only celebrate once every four years.
Chantal Breland, 28, was born on February 29, 1996 - a leap year - and says her 'real age' confuses “a lot” of people.
Chantal doesn’t see her non-leap year birthdays as much of a celebration.
But as this year is a leap year she plans to get dressed up and has sent colour-coordinated invitations to a big party at a club.
Chantal, a hairstylist, from Algonquin, Illinois, said: “I love being a leap year baby - it feels really special, only being able to celebrate every four years.
“Nobody really understands my real age - it always takes a long conversation with the bouncer if I want to go to a club.
“I’ve always done big leap year birthdays - it only comes around every four years.”
Growing up, Chantal's family always got her a cake on the February 28 and her celebrations were often low-key.
Once every four years, her family would take her bowling, ice skating, or throw a big party for all her friends.
As she got older, she continued throwing huge, extravagant parties for her leap year birthdays.
A college professor threw a party for her and her entire class in 2016 when she was turning 20 - but her leap year age was just five.
For her 24th birthday in 2020 Chantal and her friends colour co-ordinated "hot pink outfits" with balloons and invitations and went to a bar in Chicago.
She said: “Generally, I didn’t really understand what my birthday was - all I knew is we celebrated with a cake or a dinner most years, and every so often we’d have a big party.
“My leap year parties would be amazing - we’d go bowling, skating, throw parties at the house with multiple people there.
“I did eventually catch on with that being every four years - at school, they taught us about leap years and my friends would freak out about my ‘real age.'"
Chantal has said she’s “tired” of explaining her two ages to different people - and says she always finds herself in unwanted conversations.
She says people get confused about how it works - and she always has to clarify which years are leap years.
Chantal said: “People just don’t get it.
“There’s a lot of general confusion where bouncers, for example, won’t understand my real age.
“They’ll look at the date of my birthday - and once it’s clicked, they’ll try and tell me their cousin’s-sister’s-brother’s-husband also has a leap year birthday.
“And it’s like, okay!”
Her 10th “official” birthday will coincide with her 40th birthday - which she calls her “golden birthday”.
She has already begun planning it with her husband, Kristopher, 28, an aquarist, and her best friend, N’Crai Pittman, 27, an aesthetician.
Chantal said: “I’d love to get dressed up and organise something along with my husband and my best friend.
“I’m treating it as my golden birthday. I’m sure I’ll have kids by then, so I’ll want a whole-family party with all my friends too.
“To turn 40 and to have that fall on a leap year is huge.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
"I work in a care home for elderly pets - they can be grumpy but I love it"
By Amy Reast
Meet the residents of a 'senior home' for elderly pets - where all the abandoned old pets get a home for life.
House With a Heart is home to 13 cats and dogs and guinea pigs who have lost their families and homes - and are highly unlikely to find a new home due to their age and health.
Instead they get a life-long home at the pet sanctuary in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
Residents include Bella, 16, who is 112 in human years, Toby, 15, who is 105 in human years, and Marco, 18, who is 126 in human years.
And much like an old folks home for humans, the residents have all their wants and needs catered for by workers and volunteers. Pet care specialist Emily Zea, 34, says it's the "best job in the world".
The average day sees her change dog nappies, cheer up grumpy cats, find toys short-sighted residents have lost and break up treats for pooches without teeth.
She said: "We do this because we don't want to see senior animals stuck in shelters - we'd rather they spend their last days with us so they can pass peacefully.
"They have a great time here. It's basically just like an old people's home - they all have their own personalities and attitudes.
"Much like old people, they want to do their own thing but sometimes need a bit of extra help.
"It's funny how similar everyone is when they get old and grumpy - whether human or animal!
"But I enjoy the job so much because it's so rewarding - the grumpy ones capture my heart the most!"
Emily has worked as a member of staff at House With A Heart full-time since 2016 but most staff at the donation-funded shelter are volunteers.
Founder Sher Polvinale, 77, has been running it since 2006 - and lives at the sanctuary 24/7 to make sure the animals are always being looked after.
Some residents come after their owners have died, while others came from bad situations such as hoarders' homes.
Some are friendly while others struggle to trust staff when they may have had a bad history with humans.
But over time Emily said they start to come out of their shells and staff are able to bond with them.
And eventually all their personalities and quirks start to show - even if they can be naughty or a little strange.
She said: "No matter how much you tell them not to do something, they look at you and go right back to what they were doing.
"Some still have that personality in them to be a pain in the butt, but it's pretty hilarious really.
"Some of them hide toys then forget them, or still chew up the toys even if they have no teeth!
"Some refuse to use the bathroom outside or want to use the bathroom wherever they want - so we put them in doggy diapers.
"One refuses to use a bowl and will only eat off a black cutting board - we've gone through so many cutting boards but we want him to do what feels comfortable.
"But we're set up to take care of everything and unless it's a risk to their health, we try to let them do whatever makes them happy."
She added that while it can be messy and busy, the job is "so rewarding."
Emily said: "It can be hard because they don't all have long left - but we’d rather they spend their last days with us in a comfortable environment with people who care for them so they can pass on peacefully.
"There are some that come who are grumpy and angry all the time - but I want to provide them with happiness even if they hate me at the same time.
"When they actually do come around and start being more loveable its a good feeling - that a dog who was so angry can actually enjoy life and trust people.
"It's not easy, but it's the best job in the world in my opinion."
To donate to House With A Heart visit https://housewithaheart.com/support-hwah-2/
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Shoe artist makes custom trainers and Crocs – for horses!
By Samuel Wightwick
A shoe artist who makes custom trainers for celebrities and sports people is now making trainers and crocs - for horses.
Marcus Floyd, 41, originally started doing custom jobs on trainers for people as a hobby alongside his full time job.
He soon got better and as his work improved, the interest from people soon grew.
He started his business "Infinite Kustomz" and began making custom trainers for professional singers, actors and even NFL players.
Marcus wanted to take his skills to the next level and flew to California in 2021 to attend the shoe surgeon academy, where he learned how to make shoes from scratch.
The following year, he was contacted by an advertising agency who wanted him to make a pair of trainers but this time for a horse!
Marcus, from Lexington, Kentucky, USA, said: "This ad agency was hired by a tourist agency called Visit Lex.
"They wanted to bring attention to The Breeders Cup, which is a race series for thoroughbred horses that was being held in Lexington that year.
"The ad campaign went great and Horse Kicks was born!"
The business has gone from strength to strength since and has even won an industry advertising award.
Originally, Marcus charged $1,200 per shoe due to the upcycling costs of turning old horse boots into top designer shoes.
However, he has now managed to get the cost down to around $1,000 a pair.
Marcus, who works in the Maintenance department at Toyota, said: "They're very popular and everyone who has bought them from me has said their horses love them
"I may be the only person in the world doing this so I am really focusing on this side of my business for 2024."
Some people on social media have questioned whether letting horses wear these trainers is safe.
But Marcus explains that horse boots have always existed, he is just changing the aesthetic.
He said: "Horse boots have existed long before me that is what people don't understand.
"What I do is take the boot and upscale that and create something that looks like a premium designer sneaker.
"I've done about 10 designs so far, if you include the four that I did for the campaign when I started.
"I want to bring a real sneakerhead feel to the equine world."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Woman teaches pup Harry Potter spells – including ‘Avada Kedavra’ to play dead
By Jake Meeus-Jones
A dog mom has trained her pup to react to over 15 Harry Potter spells - including Accio to recall him and Avada Kedavra for playing dead.
Harry Potter superfan Audriana Li, 33, has spent the last three years putting her Labradoodle cross, Dobby, through his OWL exams to become the ultimate wizarding companion.
Audriana quickly figured a lot of the spells could be linked with commands and tricks and decided to incorporate them into Dobby's training.
The excitable pup now knows 16 spells - from Stupefy (down), Immobulus (stay), Accio (come) to go to Azkaban (crate), Ascendio (jump up), and Expelliarmus (drop it).
The unique commands are often the topic of conversation when Audriana takes Dobby for walks - with fellow dog walkers in disbelief Audriana can "Accio her dog."
Audriana, a strategy director from Toronto, Canada, said: "Harry Potter has always been a big part of my life.
"Being just such a big Harry Potter fan I wanted to incorporate it into dog training.
"The spells just occurred to me that they match the commands and I thought I could be creative and match some other spells to other commands.
"It's no different to training a dog with regular commands really.
"Dobby is very food motivated and we treat him with kibble.
"So for example Stupefy is the word for down so we teach him the action and then the command on top of that.
"It was really fun to see when he was picking them up.
"When I yell 'Accio Dobby' at the park I get some strange looks but we always get people coming up to us and speaking about Harry Potter.
"It's really fun and I think it's nice that we have unique words for it."
As well as the commands, Audriana has taught Dobby some tricks using spells too.
From Avada Kedavra (play dead) and Confundus (spin) to Wingardium Leviosa (stand up on back legs) and Aguamenti (drink water).
She said: "At work, my colleagues love watching when I Avada Kedavra my dog - not a sentence I ever thought would be coming out of my mouth!
"I guess we're like this witch and wizard duo.
"He's the wizard dog as he responds to spells but I guess if I'm casting the spell doesn't that make me the witch?
"I guess we have a little bit of magic blood in both of us!"
Her favorite trick she's taught him is the Avada Kedavra spell because of how excited Dobby gets at playing dead.
She added: "Just because people laugh at the fact I'm using the killing curse on my dog.
"Somewhere along the line he got used to sticking his legs out and looking at you and questioning if he's doing it right but then his tail continuing wagging as if he's excited to be 'dead', so it's a very funny visual.
"My other one is 'go to Azkaban' which is his cage and not technically a spell but it's so funny we can send him to 'prison' and he's so happy to do it!"
But Dobby hasn't quite passed all his OWL exams yet, as Audriana hopes to teach him a few more spells.
She said: "I want to try Lumos and Nox for the lights where he could maybe press the button on the floor for lamps.
"I'm trying to teach Flipendo for 'roll over' but that's not a trick we do very often and I feel like it might hurt his spine to roll over quite a bit so I'm thinking of trying that one again in the basement where we have a carpet.
"The last one we want to do is Obliviate which is where he goes shy and puts a paw over his eye."
Audriana's full list of spells/commands:
Stupefy (down)
Immobulus (stay)
Accio (come)
Go to Azkaban (crate)
Ascendio (jump up)
Descendo (jump down)
Expelliarmus (drop it)
Avada Kedavra (play dead)
Confundus (spin)
Wingardium Leviosa (stand up on back legs)
Aguamenti (drink water)
Relashio (walk backwards)
Protego (tuck)
Duro (head down on ground)
Glisseo (jump over)
Petrificus Totalus (sit pretty)
Catch the snitch (catching a ball)
www.instagram.com/dobbyisafreedoodle
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
Angry crocodile lunges at elephants while they drink from waterhole
By Safia Azizi
An angry crocodile twice lunged at elephants while they were drinking from a waterhole.
Guests at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge, Zimbabwe, were treated to the epic sight as a herd of elephants enjoyed a drink just 50 meters from the viewing deck.
Amazing footage – which has been viewed more than 273,000 times online – shows a huge reptile suddenly lunge from the water and bite at one of the massive animal’s legs.
Just a few moments later the same crocodile lunged at another elephant, this time sending four of the animals scurrying for safety.
A spokesperson for the lodge said: “Most who saw it happen were astonished, while others understood that the crocodile was behaving in a territorial manner and protecting his space.
“This scene also highlighted the realities of nature where often survival depends on quick reflexes.
“The general belief is that the crocodile was not trying to hunt the elephants, but that this is a defensive act.
“This waterhole is small unlike a river or lake, and so there is a restriction as to where the crocodile can go to get away from the elephants when they wade into the water.
“Hence its best form of defense is attack.”
The footage was filmed on January 29.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
94-year-old can't hold back tears when grandson tells him 'he loves him very much'
By Samuel Wightwick
This is the emotional moment a grandad couldn't hold back his tears when his grandson told him “he loves him very much."
Brent Hancel Webb, 37, captured the moment when his grandad Alan Witherspoon was staying with him after the family he was living with had to move.
The video shows Alan becoming teary-eyed as Brent tells him how much he has loved spending time with him and that he loves him very much.
Alan passed away in January this year at the age of 94 after suffering from Alzheimer's dementia, so Brent is glad that he managed to capture this moment that he can look back on.
Brent, who works as an environmental scientist in Seattle, Washington, USA, said: "I had been wanting to capture that moment for a long time.
"I wanted to have a video showing how much I care about him but just to show the world how much I meant to him and he meant to me.
"With him suffering from Alzheimer's dementia, it made him more emotional but it also brought out a lot of who he was."
Brent was able to spend lots of quality time with his grandfather while living together.
He took him out to sports games, concerts, and they even took a trip to Canada.
Being out and socializing really helped his grandfather, so Brent made sure to get him out of the house as much as possible.
He said: "When I would take him out to gigs and sports events, he was like the old witty and smart Alan - he was all there.
"I tried my hardest to do lots of stuff to bring back his old self and fight through the chaos of the disease as much as possible."
Brent also adapted to the way his grandad did things and created an environment where it was as easy as possible for him to live.
Brent said: "I made sure to do things like putting up little notes with his name on them and I made sure I used black writing on white paper to not confuse him.
"With his condition, he had bad hearing too, so when I walked round the corner it would scare him.
"That's why I would always knock and alert him before entering the room - like you see in the video too."
Brent is extremely proud of the way that he was able to care for his grandfather and was told by doctors that it actually allowed him to live longer.
Brent said: "Doctors had told me that the way I cared for him, taking him out, putting him in situations where he was happy and socializing really helped him go longer in life.
"He did so much for me growing up was one of the rare people that helped me the way he did.
"I am so happy that I can share this video with people."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
“I waited 34 years to transition to a man and starting a family with my fiancée - using both our eggs”
By Emma Dunn
A trans man and his partner are set to undergo IVF using her womb and HIS eggs from before he transitioned.
Taylor Winters, 40, was assigned female at birth but always identified "like a boy" growing up.
He would cut his hair short and refuse to wear dresses but didn’t realize he was transgender until he reached his early 20s and saw a trans woman being interviewed on TV.
Taylor moved to the US nine years ago and began looking into transitioning - starting testosterone aged 34.
He found it “exciting” growing a beard, hearing his voice drop and felt “whole” after having top surgery.
Before Taylor started his transition, he decided to freeze his eggs and is now beginning IVF with his fiancée, Chloe, 30.
They are using a sperm donor and plan to use Taylor’s frozen eggs in their first transfer, and Chloe’s in their second – so they can each have a biological child.
Taylor, a social media director, living in Watford, Hertfordshire, said: “I feel complete now.
“I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.
“I was waiting my whole life for something but I didn’t know if it was going to happen.
“I never lost hope.”
Chloe said: "It was amazing noticing how each injection would transform his body but most importantly, I loved seeing how confident he grew as each month passed.
"I feel it’s so brave to show the world who you truly are, so I'm really proud of him for aligning his physical appearance to who he is inside.
"I’ve always wanted a family of my own, ever since I was little. Having our own biological kids just felt right for us as it does for a lot of couples - we’re no different.
"Having IVF as an option for us is such a blessing. We both have a lot of love to give and have the best family and support around us, and our children would always be loved and accepted for who they are.
"You can be in a healthy and happy relationship if you’re transgender."
Taylor, who grew up in Transylvania, Romania, told his parents he was a boy from the age of five and would cut his hair, refuse to wear skirts and tried to “pee like a boy” - and says they were supportive.
He said: “I was saying I’m more of a butch lesbian but I felt like a boy.
“There was no visibility [of trans people] at all.”
Taylor wore baggy clothes and only saw someone like him when he started properly researching in his early 20s.
He said: “I saw a Romanian trans person on TV. I felt compassion for the trans girl and a bit envious as well.”
Taylor moved to Germany with his then partner in March 2014, before moving to the US in March 2015 when the relationship broke down.
There he began properly looking into transitioning and met fiancée Chloe in 2016 - who helped him through the process.
After going through physiological assessments and testing he was able to start testosterone in November 2017.
Before starting Taylor decided to freeze his eggs as he had always wanted the chance to be a parent – but had never seen himself being pregnant.
He said: “I was becoming something I always saw myself to be.
“It was amazing.
“It was exciting.
“I started seeing facial hair. My voice started to drop after a few months.
“It was a rollercoaster.”
Taylor had top surgery in October 2019 and a hysterectomy in November 2023.
He said: “It was such a liberating feeling.
“It was amazing not having to hide my chest - to go to the beach and not have to wear a bra.”
Now happy in himself, Taylor and Chloe have been looking into starting a family and have picked out a sperm donor.
They hope to have their first round of IVF later this year – using Taylor’s eggs – to have a baby.
The couple would love to then have another child – using Chloe’s eggs and the same sperm donor.
Taylor said: “From my perspective, I always wanted to have biological kids but I didn’t want to be pregnant.
“We’re using both our eggs to start a family so we each have a biological connection.”
Taylor hopes sharing his story can show people that it’s “never too late” to transition.
He said: “I feel like this is a new life since transitioning.”
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
'Split' boxing glove from Muhammad Ali's 1963 fight with Henry Cooper at auction for £500k
By Kate Pounds
An auctioneer is selling what he claims is the famed 'split' glove from Muhammad Ali's 1963 fight with Henry Cooper - for £500k.
The glove has gone down in boxing lore after a tear was allegedly made to buy Ali, then Cassius Clay, time after being knocked down.
Clay had been floored by a left hook from Cooper - known as 'Enry's 'Ammer - and was literally on the ropes.
But his shrewd trainer Angelo Dundee widened the split to give his man more time to recover, or so the story goes - and he eventually won the fight.
A pair of gloves featuring a split and said to be from the fight were sold by Christie's in 2001.
But Stuart, of Chard Auctions in Somerset, is now selling a glove - signed by Cooper.
He has set a guide price of £300,000 to £500,000 - with the lot description calling it "genuine".
Stuart, 53, said: "I'm so excited about this sale. When I saw the pictures of the glove and all the evidence of its provenance it blew me away.
"I'm absolutely thrilled to bits that I've been chosen to promote this and to sell it on."
The glove is being kept in a secret location and will be auctioned on June 18 - the 61st anniversary of the fight, which took place at Wembley Stadium.
Stuart claims the glove was returned to makers Baily's, based in Glastonbury, straight after the fight.
It remained there until Richard Mayers, a since-deceased managing director, gave the glove to his partner, Stuart claims.
The woman's son, Simon Hawkins, 54, from Seaton, Devon, is now selling the glove.
A handwritten letter from Richard to his partner, that Stuart has, says he joined the company in 1963.
It said: "I declare this glove to be genuine. I've always been aware of it's significance, safety, and provenance."
The Christie's gloves were sold to an advertising executive for £37,600 in 2001, according to newspaper reports.
They featured in an Ali exhibition some years later.
Christie's declined to comment.
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
“Wearing underwear as outerwear helped me overcome body dysmorphia”
By Hannah Van De Peer
A woman wears underwear as "outerwear" to overcome her body dysmorphia - and dons lingerie, corsets, and boxers to go to the beach and on nights out.
Abbie Fidgett, 22, began experiencing body dysmorphia after enduring bullying throughout school and college.
She spent 20 weeks on a waiting list for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and declined to revisit the doctor after they wanted to weigh her.
She bundled up in winter coats year-round to conceal her body but in November 2020 decided to swap them out for underwear instead - after attempting exposure therapy wearing different outfits.
She has started to feel better and enjoys expressing herself through fashion.
Now, she plans to run errands wearing boxer shorts and a jacket and frequently wears lingerie on nights out.
Abbie, a content creator, from Stafford, West Midlands, England, said: "I began expressing myself through my fashion because it felt like I was finally doing something for myself.
"I feel confident wearing underwear as outerwear, and I’m so proud of myself.
"I love getting creative with fashion; it gives me my power back.
"I'm always wearing lingerie tops on nights out - I'll wear my boxer shorts on holiday, along with a bikini top.
"When it gets a bit warmer, I’ll be pairing my boxers with a blazer or jacket to go to the shops."
The bullying started when Abbie was in year seven, in 2012, and persisted until 2017.
While she used to be a "confident, outspoken" teenager, Abbie quickly became withdrawn and started feeling bad about her body.
She says bullies would make fun of her skin and weight, and it was "relentless" - lasting the entirety of her time at school.
She says her prom - which took place on July 7, 2017 - was the "worst day of her life."
She said: "I struggled mostly in high school.
"I got heavily bullied - so for me, the priority was to just find any piece of clothing I could hide my body in.
"I used to wear big winter coats, even in the summer, to hide myself.
"I’d get stared at a lot, which I did find really embarrassing, but it was more bearable than walking out the door wearing something that showed my body off.
"I just wanted to be able to feel comfortable again and wear things I actually liked."
Abbie visited her GP for the first time in the summer of 2017 - but she says there were no body dysmorphia-specific treatments available, and the waiting list for CBT was 20 weeks long.
She felt uncomfortable with the way her condition was being discussed by doctors - and she claims they told her they'd "get you out of that winter coat in no time."
"I couldn’t get any CBT during high school because the waiting list was too long," she said.
"I remember walking into my appointment in my big coat, stepping on the scales in front of the doctor, hearing them making comments.
"I left that appointment in tears."
With the support of her friends and family, Abbie joined a gym in Stafford to improve her mental health instead and started seeing a personal trainer.
As her relationship with her body slowly improved over the years, she began exploring her love of fashion by experimenting with different outfits - and in October 2022, she started posting style videos on TikTok.
She said: "You can't grow your confidence overnight - it was years before I felt good enough in myself to start changing up my style.
"The gym made me feel better - and it made me more body-confident, as well.
"I used to feel too ugly to leave my house - but slowly, I started experimenting with different looks.
"It was this voice of encouragement I had in the back of my mind, like 'come on, Abs. You've got to start doing more for yourself'."
In the summer of 2023, Abbie noticed a passerby in Stafford wearing blue-striped boxer shorts as outerwear.
Her love of analyzing other people's outfit choices made her think she could pull the look off herself - so she decided to buy a pair.
Besides styling them for her followers on TikTok, she also plans to wear the same boxers for upcoming girls' holidays, as well as in bars and clubs, and even while running errands.
She says she now feels confident wearing lingerie out-and-about - and it’s all about not caring what other people think.
"I can wear boxer shorts with a pair of heels, and head to a club dressed like that," she added.
"Or, I can dress them down - wearing leg warmers and a blazer, just to run to the shops in.
"Now, I can wear anything I want. I'm sure a lot of people think I have a 'weird' sense of fashion, and think I dress strangely.
"But I don't fear other people's opinions anymore. I think I show people how to look funky.
"I wouldn't be here today without the help of my mom - I used her as a verbal punching bag for so long but she stuck by me. She's my biggest supporter.
"When you recover from body dysmorphia - it can still be a battle, everyone has their bad days but don't let that affect your ability to express yourself."
This is Premium Licensed Content. Would you like to publish this article? Please contact our licensing team.
