Leslie Horton on Going Viral, Calling Out Body-Shaming, and Championing Women in Midlife

About this episode

Leslie Horton discusses her viral moment addressing body-shaming and her advocacy for women in midlife.

We’re wrapping up  Series 14  with a phenomenal guest, the one and only  Leslie Horton , Canadian broadcaster, feminist powerhouse, and the woman who went  internationally viral  after responding on live TV to a body-shaming email with pure  grace, humour, honesty and unapologetic power . Leslie has been keeping Calgary moving for decades, but in December 2023 her clip reached millions worldwide, inspiring women, especially those in midlife, to say:  “This is what women my age look like”.  Even Hollywood took notice. Beyond the screen, Leslie leads a major annual charity campaign bringing holiday support to families in need, and she’s constantly out in her community making real change. She’s living proof you can navigate rush-hour chaos, silence trolls, and stand up for women everywhere, all before your morning coffee. Off-camera Leslie leads a major annual charity drive supporting families during the holidays. She navigates traffic chaos, internet trolls and a wildly full schedule, all while championing women everywhere. In this episode: • Leslie’s viral moment and the global reaction • The realities of midlife…

People in this episode

Hosts: Jinty Sheerin, Lou Hockings-Thompson

Guest: Leslie Horton

Topics covered

• body image
• midlife visibility
• feminism
• community work
• charity
• online trolls

Keywords

• body-shaming
• viral moment
• midlife women
• feminist issues
• charity campaign
• community change
• online trolls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: WomenKind Collective

Places: Calgary

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