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Georgia Toffolo has spoken out about the abuse she has faced because of her skin, revealing how online trolls called her “pizza face”.
The former Made in Chelsea
Speaking to Glamour
“When I was on Made in Chelsea , I massively hid my skin problems from the world,” Toffolo said, adding that she had to "bare all" when she was on ITV's I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here , which she won in 2017.
She recalled receiving scathing criticism online and in the press with regards to her skin over the years.
Show all 10 1 /10Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Subarachnoid vessels The runner-up image came from Matt MacGregor Sharp, a PhD student at the University of Southampton. The super-high resolution image shows a normal artery at the surface of a rat’s brain and was taken with a powerful scanning electron microscope. These ‘subarachnoid vessels’ supply blood to the brain and also act like a drain to remove toxic waste products. Matt Macgregor’s team are trying to show that failure to remove waste by these vessels is one of the underlying causes of vascular dementia. The researchers took the image using a technique called ‘freeze fracture’, where tissue or cell samples are frozen and then split apart to reveal the hidden layers within the sample so they can be studied in extreme detail. Sitting above the brown brain tissue, the artery appears blue, and its surrounding layer, the pia mater, is shown in purple.
Matt MacGregor Sharp, University of Southampton, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Explosive beginnings Winner: Endothelial cells line all blood vessels in the body, forming a barrier between the circulating blood and the vessel wall. They also help to protect blood vessels from damage and release important chemical messengers which help to control blood pressure. The winning researcher, Courtney Williams, is a Masters student and PhD candidate at Leeds University. Her lab are developing new ways to map the growth of new blood vessels within their surrounding landscape in 3D. Understanding the complex secrets of blood vessel formation could be harnessed to boost the regrowth of damaged blood vessels after a heart attack, and halt blood vessel growth when it’s counterproductive.
Courtney Williams, Leeds University, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize A snapshot of platelet production - Reflections of Research Supporters’ Favourite This image from Abdullah Obaid Khan, a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, won the supporters’ favourite. What look like precious jewels are actually platelets forming within the bone marrow. Platelets are the smallest of our circulating blood cells with a hugely important role in preventing bleeding. However, they also play a role in the formation of clots, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Abdullah Obaid Khan and his team are studying rare bleeding disorders.
Abdullah Obaid Khan, University of Birmingham, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Cardiac collagen web - Shortlist This colourful image shows the web-like, network of the smallest blood vessels in the heart – the microvessels. Magenta marks the outer collagen layer of the vessels; while orange marks their inner lining and blue the cell nuclei. Dr Neil Dufton, Imperial College London
Dr Neil Dufton, Imperial College London, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Heart to Heart - Shortlist This piece shows four ventricles (from a mouse) arranged into the shape of the hearts four normal chambers. The researchers have used fluorescent markers to recognise certain proteins and created the image using of hundreds of images assembled together. Dr Elisa Avolio and Dr Zexu Dang, University of Bristol
Dr Elisa Avolio and Dr Zexu Dang, University of Bristol, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Loving artery - Shortlist This image shows a cross section of an artery and the different layers which make up the artery wall. Affiliate Professor Silvia Lacchini, University of Glasgow
Silvia Lacchini, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Oxidative inkblot - Shortlist This colour explosion shows one of the culprits in cardiovascular disease – an enzyme called NADPH oxidase. The enzyme is considered ‘Janus faced’ because it is important in health, as well as disease. This picture shows the active enzyme in patients who have high blood pressure. Dr Livia de Lucca Camargo, University of Glasgow
Dr Livia de Lucca Camargo, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Neon skeleton - Shortlist This image shows the developing blood vessel system of a two day old zebrafish embryo. The researchers used gene enhancers (the on-off switches of genes) to switch on fluorescent markers in different types of endothelial cells – the important cells which line all blood vessels. All blood vessels switch on the red marker, while the veins also switch on the green marker, resulting in yellow veins and red arteries. Dr Svanhild Nornes, University of Oxford
Dr Svanhild Nornes, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Calcium reef - Shortlist This image shows calcium in blood vessel cells from people who have high blood pressure and resembles Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Dr Rheure Alves-Lopes, University of Glasgow
Dr Rheure Alves-Lopes, University of Glasgow, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
Under the skin – best of the British Heart Foundation 2018 image prize Budding blood vessels - Shortlist This image shows the growing blood vessels in the mouse retina. In red you can see all the blood vessels and in yellow/green you can see the blood vessels that are actively growing (a process called sprouting). PhD candidate Kira Chouliaras, University of Oxford
Kira Chouliaras, University of Oxford, British Heart Foundation - Reflections of Research
“Online trolls were saying no one would want to date me due to my bad skin, and even more annoyingly, they would say why doesn’t she get her skin sorted out.
"Don’t you think that’s what I’ve wanted to do? If it were that easy, I would have sorted out.”
Toffolo went on to explain how celebrities are perceived as bastions of perfection by the public, and how the pressure made her feel like even worse about her skin.
Now, however, she said that while her “journey” with her skin is still ongoing, she has found a way to deal with online bullies.
“My perspective has changed,” Toffolo told the publication.
“I’ve realised you don’t gain validation from other people just because you have perfect skin or hair, it comes from the inside and I feel brighter and happier since I made peace with, and begun to accept, my spots.”
She added that while she still wears makeup, she no longer hides behind excess amounts of foundation or “endless filters” on social media.
“If only I could have told myself to accept my skin 10 years ago,” she concluded.
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