EDITED BY SALLY BROOK
ACTRESS Martine McCutcheon showed off her more curvaceous figure on the red carpet in a strapless dress.
Martine, 35, who has admitted her weight fluctuates between a size eight and a 14, said: "I've never pretended to be a supermodel.
"I am what I am. I'm attractive, I make the most of myself and I'm real."
So what is it like for other women whose figures have gone from svelte to voluptuous?
Here, DULCIE PEARCE and NIKKI WATKINS speak to four such women who have dared to go bare to show off their new curves.
Mellissa Laycy
INCREDIBLY, Mellissa, right, was told she needed to lose weight to be a model, despite being a size eight.
It lead her into two years of anorexia hell.
Now a healthy size 16 and a succesful plus-size model, she is more confident than ever.
Mellissa, 23, says: "At the age of 13 I wanted to be a model, but the company I approached said I needed to lose weight.
"Within six months I had dieted down to an eight which was skinny for my 5ft 10in. But the company told me I was still too big.
"After that comment I got really drastic with my eating and ended up starving myself to a size six. But even clothes at that size were swamping me. I didn't bother going back to the agency as I was too scared they'd tell me to lose more weight.
"Being skinny consumed my thoughts. Two years later I went to The Priory and I gradually started to put weight on."
Mellissa, from Clapham, south London, added: "I forgot about modelling. But when I saw a plus-sized model on a magazine cover, I realised bigger women could model."
Mellissa added: "I look back at the time of being skinny and think about how unhappy I was.
"Martine looks fantastic and it is such a positive thing that she is proud of the way she looks. She should be – it's natural."
Alexandra White
OVER the past decade, Alexandra has fluctuated between a size ten and a 20.
The PA trained as a dancer but put on weight when she stopped her toe-tapping. She is now a 16.
Alexandra, 30, says: "My family are of Greek descent and we are naturally voluptuous.
"I spent years fighting my natural shape but now I feel content with how I look.
"I have recently lost two stone due to healthy eating, cutting out carbs and exercising six times a week. At the moment I would like my stomach to be flatter and am working on that at the gym.
"But I never let it stop me going out and dressing up to show off my curves.
"I have a big personality and, to show that, I always have big hair and loud outfits."
'I spent years fighting my natural shape' ... Alexandra White
Alexandra, from Enfield, north London, added: "Many people might criticise Martine for putting on a few pounds but I think her face looks gorgeous at that weight and her skin is glowing."
Chloe Driver
WAITRESS Chloe has yo-yo dieted since she was a teenager – going from a size ten to an 18.
'My boyfriend loves the way I look' ... Chloe Driver
Now a size 16, Chloe finally feels happy with her weight. The 26-year-old says: "My weight has fluctuated so much over the years and I have done every diet imaginable – from the healthy to the incredibly dangerous.
"At one point I took the desperate measures of taking illegal slimming pills that I bought from the internet. They made me terribly ill and I could barely sleep.
"I also tried the cabbage soup diet, Slim Fast and have even taken laxatives. Nothing worked. So now I have decided to eat as I wish and do plenty of exercise."
Chloe, from Borehamwood, Herts, stressed: "I really feel that I am currently at my natural weight as I work out most days and my size doesn't change.
"I feel fit and healthy and I know my boyfriend Denver loves the way I look.
"Now, when I see pictures of myself as a size ten, I think I look unhappy. My immune system was terrible – I had coughs and colds all the time.
"I never catch bugs now and I think that's because my body is healthier.
"I get more male attention now than I did when I was thinner and I truly believe most men find curvy women more attractive.
"This is why I feel confident to strip and show off my body.
"Martine looks fantastic and it's about time we saw someone who represents size 16 women on the red carpet."
Natasha Malbasa
DESIGNER Natasha was a slender size 10 at her wedding five years ago.
'I know my husband loves my body' ... Natasha Malbasa
