A Wallington woman has taken a direct and unconventional approach to tackling insecurities about the way she looks by agreeing to appear naked on national television.

For years Leana Grech, 33, of Beddington Grove, felt ashamed about her body shape and would wear baggy clothes and avoid public changing rooms in an effort to hide her figure.

But this nagging sense of low self-worth has now been washed away following her involvement in an episode of the Channel 4 series How to Look Good Naked.

In the show, Miss Grech, a hairdresser at Union, in Demense Road, undertook a series of exercises to try and reverse the negative perception she had of herself.

She was then shown facing the ultimate challenge when an image of her naked body was projected on to a building in London and members of the public were invited to pass judgement.

Ms Grech said: "In the final session of filming they asked if I would be photographed naked and of course I said yes.

"It was a little bit nerve-wracking to begin with but it was the photographer who photographs the Queen and he did a fantastic job. He did kind of make me look good naked.

"They projected that on to a building in London and I had to go up to people and ask them how I looked. I got a lot of positive comments and people were actually glad to see a normal size woman. It's all been really good. I'm pleased I did it."

Ms Grech was persuaded to apply for the programme by her colleagues and she had a brief interview with television executives at her home before being accepted.

Filming was done over two weeks in June and the show aired on Tuesday, August 8.

The single mum of one admitted to being nervous about the broadcast, which at one point shows her in tears about her body, and invited friends round to watch it with her.

But the advantages of taking part - including free underwear from exclusive lingerie shop Rigby and Peller - greatly outweighed the negatives and Ms Grech has no regrets.

"The thing that got me the most was when they projected my image on to the building and all the positive feedback I got," she said.

"That really opened my eyes and I thought, so what?'.

"I've put a bit of weight on and I'm not 18 any more. Most women have put weight on and it does get harder to lose when you've had a child. I've been into a changing room for the first time in five years and I used to always wear a baggy jumper around my middle.

"Not any more."

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