Blobbie jibes hurt me... I don’t want my boys to suffer from body issues – ROBBIE SAVAGE
ROBBIE Savage has told of his horror at being branded “Blobbie Savage” after piling on the pounds while on holiday.
The former footballer and Mirror columnist, 42, spoke of his body insecurities as he stripped off for a new men’s health campaign.
He said: “I was on holiday in Barbados and there were photographers there and I was called Blobbie Savage. I stopped playing in 2011 and I was on the beach enjoying myself. It was horrible.”
He followed the ITV Loose Women team by being snapped in just his pants for posters.
He was joined by footie legend David Ginola, Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli, This Morning’s Dr Ranj Singh, Judge Robert Rinder, Corrie star Shayne Ward and boxing icon Frank Bruno.
Photographed by Rankin, the men want to raise awareness of the “increasing body image pressures men face”.
Robbie said: “I want people out there to embrace themselves and think, no matter what shape or size, you’ve got to be happy.”
He said as a teenager he would wear two sets of clothes as he was so skinny.
He added: “I’ve got two boys, 14 and 11, and I want them to be happy teenagers.”
He admitted he still had body issues. “I’ve got a little pot belly,” he said. “I think that’s my age.
“I think we all have little issues but I’ve just come to realise that’s how I am.”
He wasn’t nervous about stripping, adding: “I was 20 years in a dressing room with lads, the banter there was, you can imagine.”
Loose Women’s Body Stories campaign continues today at 12.30pm on ITV.