My Big Fat Fabulous Life has celebrated six years and eight seasons since it first premiered on TLC on January 13, 2021. Star Whitney Thore took to Instagram to celebrate another meaningful date for her: January 25, 2014. That was the day that changed her life.
The TLC show, My Big Fat Fabulous Life follows Whitney Thore, a 30-something year old with a big personality. She is also overweight due to polycystic ovary syndrome. Despite the diagnosis and her weight problem, she is committed to staying active and enjoying her true passion: dance. She started her own dance studio, called Big Girl Dance, for other women who struggle with their weight. She also started No Body Shame Active, a company that helps people be active while feeling comfortable in their own skin, regardless of their body shape or size. But how did Whitney go from working at a local radio station to landing a reality show?
On January 25, 2014, Whitney, a producer at a North Carolina radio station, made a video of her and her friend dancing. She posted the video on the Youtube channel of the radio station, calling the video “A Fat Girl Dancing.” According to Whitney's Instagram, they didn’t know the choreography well and it was shot on a basic laptop camera, so it wasn’t high-quality. She thought it would be seen by fans of the radio station. But within a few days, the video had gained millions of views. People loved that, in a world where even models are called fat, Whitney had the confidence to let loose and dance, and wasn’t afraid to share that with the world.
Whitney quickly hired a manager and began doing TV appearances. She managed to leverage her viral fame into many opportunities. Aside from getting her reality series, My Big Fat Fabulous Life, she also got a book deal, and started a speaking career. She created her No BS Active company and expanded it into No BS At Sea, which takes participants on a cruise while teaching about body positivity and staying active. She wants to end the sort of prejudice that exists against overweight women.
Unfortunately, in season eight of her show, Whitney suffered a setback in her success. Her fiance, Chase, revealed that he had cheated on her with a former girlfriend who was now pregnant. Heartbroken, Whitney lost all of her confidence and developed anxiety and renewed feelings of depression she has suffered with in the past. She questioned if Chase would have cheated on her if she looked different and began considering weight-loss surgery. Her friends were concerned that she was suddenly willing to do something she had never wanted to do in the past because a man mistreated her. Fans will have to wait and see if Whitney is able to move past her feelings of self-loathing and regain her former confidence.
It hasn’t been confirmed yet that there will be a season 9 of My Big Fat Fabulous Life. Whether or not there is, the things Whitney has accomplished in just six years is something to be proud of.
Source: Whitney Thore