Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff has said it took him “38 years to be happy” in his own skin due to the body image pressures faced by men.
The former English cricketer, who has previously spoken about suffering from bulimia, said the media puts too much pressure on men to have a certain body image.
“Younger lads are striving towards perfection, it happens, there are a lot of pressures now with magazines and runways - you are meant to look a certain way,” he told The Telegraph.
“I was one of those lads - it has taken me 38 years to be happy. I now realise that I am never going to be chiseled, no matter how hard I work.”
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Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
The 38-year-old was speaking ahead of the launch of his clothing line for plus size fashion retailer Jacamo.
He said he’s taken some “extreme measures” with his body over the years, from making himself sick between Test matches during his cricketing days to embarking on a gruelling fitness regime in a bid to be a heavyweight boxer.
But the father-of-three, who’s also previously spoken about his battle with alcohol addiction and depression, now realises “there is no certain way people should look”.
“It took me a long time to realise that and to be comfortable with myself. I would rather have a dadbod and be happy and eat what I want from time to time,” he said.
Flintoff said opening up about his body image concerns to his wife, Rachael, was the first step in his road to recovery.
In a previous interview with The Huffington Post UK, he said the best advice he’d ever been given was: “Just be authentic. Just be yourself.”
“Numerous people have told me that,” he said at the time.
“The one thing I learned from having a sporting life, is more important than not having a fear of failure, it’s about not regretting anything. So try everything you feel like doing.”
Male Body Image Heroes
James Corden(01 of07)
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He stripped off in an underwear advert spoof alongside David Beckham. The message: "Beauty is skin deep, it's underneath that counts."He also wrote an open letter which was published by Glamour magazine in which he asks people to accept themselves for who they are. "Respect your body. It is what it is, so embrace it," he wrote. "Love every scar, ripple, and imperfection, and you won’t need others to do it for you." (credit:FOX via Getty Images)
David Beckham(02 of07)
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Davey B stars alongside James Corden in the underwear spoof for D&J briefs to promote healthy body image and the idea that beauty is only skin deep. (credit:J. Countess via Getty Images)
Prince Fielder(03 of07)
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Fielder is a baseball player for the Texas Rangers who was featured on the front page of ESPN magazine, naked. The photograph of him was attacked on social media. The baseball player has since spoken out and said that just because a person is plus-size, it doesn't mean they can't be athletic.In an interview with ESPN.com, he said: “A lot of people probably think I’m not athletic or don’t even try to work out or whatever, but I do. Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you can’t be an athlete. And just because you work out doesn’t mean you’re going to have a 12-pack. I work out to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, I’m not going up there trying to be a fitness model.” (credit:Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
Matt McGorry(04 of07)
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The Orange Is The New Black star spoke openly about his body concerns during his first shirtless scene on OITNB. He told Yahoo: "I was obsessively dieting, and when I saw that scene before the show ever came out, I thought I had blown it. I was like, 'Oh no! I didn't get as lean as I could've'. But then the show came out, and no one said anything negative about it, and it's funny because from one perspective you could say, 'Oh, he's letting himself go,' but from another perspective, I just don't need that validation I once did."I still love working out, and I think it's good for my health, and I feel good doing it. But I think with mental health, allowing myself to be who I am naturally in terms of my body, I think that's sort of practicing more self-love that way." (credit:Jennifer Lourie via Getty Images)
Gok Wan(05 of07)
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The presenter is an advocate for body confidence in both men and women. He has been incredibly open about his struggles with obesity growing up. He presented a show called Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth, which looked at body image in young people. He also launched a campaign to get body image classes taught in schools across the country. (credit:Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)
Ben Cohen(06 of07)
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The former rugby player has spoken openly about the importance of standing up to bullies. He launched the Ben Cohen Stand Up foundation to raise awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying and to raise funds to support those doing real-world work to stop it.Earlier this year, Cohen was fat-shamed by the Mail Online. "It is time we stand up for what is right and support people who are being harmed. Every person on this planet has a right to be true to themselves, to love and be loved, and to be happy," he said. (credit:Jason Kempin via Getty Images)
Robert Pattinson(07 of07)
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The Twilight actor has been open about his struggles with Body Dysmorphia (BDD), an obsessive anxiety disorder which is characterised by the individual's preoccupation with flaws in his or her appearance which are unnoticeable to others.In the process, he's helped raise awareness of the disorder among men. (credit:Jason Kempin via Getty Images)