MY NATURAL GREY IS SO MUCH SEXIER

JOANNA CHAMBERLAIN, 58, a milliner, lives in Caterham, Surrey, with her business analyst husband Patrick, 59. Their children are 32 and 30.

I owe my transformation to a comment made by my mother-in-law on Christmas Day around ten years ago.

Then 47, I weighed more than 15st and wore a dress size 20 when she said: ‘what’s happened to you, Jo, you’ve got so fat?’

I cried myself to sleep but woke the next day resolved nobody would ever make me feel like that again.

I was an ugly duckling and, weighing 8st at age eight, was sent to an obesity clinic — but I left age 11 weighing 10st. As a teenager, I almost starved myself to get to a size 12.

I met Patrick when I was 19 and we both worked in banking, but when I became a mum, I gave up work and was so happy at home with my children I didn’t look after myself.

After my mother-in-law’s comment, I lost 5st over 18 months through sensible eating and exercise. By the time I hit 50, I was a size 10. when I embraced my naturally white hair, I felt even sexier and I get constant compliments about it.

A young woman stopped me recently and said: ‘wow, I love your hair. I hope mine looks like that when I’m your age!’ And when I put a selfie on social media, my nephew said that I was a ‘very glamorous auntie’.

It’s a privilege to grow old — especially at a time when women my age are being coveted for their style, beauty and grace.