A superfit gran has hit back at people saying swimsuit model Bethenny Frankel is ‘too old’ to walk the runway.
The Real Housewives of New York City star turned heads as she made her debut in the coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Runway Show.
At 55, she has become the oldest model in the show’s history – but it left a sour taste in many people’s mouths.
READ MORE: World’s shortest model reveals what life is REALLY like at 2ft 4in
Bethenny, who founded a multi-million dollar lifestyle and wellness brand, Skinnygirl, shared an array of posts from the day on Saturday (30 May) on her Instagram.
In one clip, racking up four million views and over 61,000 likes, she is seen dancing as she makes her way down the catwalk.
Fitness coach and self-proclaimed “superfit gran” Andrea Sunshine, as she’s known, caught a glimpse of the comments and has hit back at those calling Frankel’s appearance “ridiculous”.
“What I find interesting is that many women criticising her probably wouldn’t have the confidence to do what she did,” the 56-year-old told Need To Know.
“While others see her as an inspiration precisely because she isn’t waiting for perfection to be beautiful.
“I don’t think the real discussion here is whether she’s ‘too old’ – it’s about whether women should only feel confident when they meet other people’s standards.
“And, on that point, I think she made a powerful statement.”
Andrea, who splits her time between Amsterdam and London, says the conversations surrounding Frankel’s debut show a society of “double standards.”
She said: “One thing I find fascinating is that we rarely have this conversation when it comes to men.
“A man in his fifties, sixties or even seventies can show confidence, date younger women, take his shirt off and celebrate his appearance
“And society sees it as charismatic or successful.
“When a woman does something similar, the discussion suddenly becomes about whether she is ‘too old’ or if she should be covering up – maybe if she’s seeking attention.”
The reactions to Bethenny’s empowering walk has made Andrea take a step back from social media.
She added: “We spend so much of our lives trying to fit into expectations created by other people that sometimes we forget to ask ourselves what we actually want.
“Real life is far more complex than that.
“Even confident women aren’t immune to this.
“I admire Bethenny’s confidence.
“I think it’s beautiful when a woman reaches a stage in life where she no longer allows society to decide whether she can feel attractive, feminine, or visible.
“There’s no expiration date for this.
“I also think that happiness itself can make people uncomfortable.
“We often hear that women should be confident, authentic and free to be themselves, yet when a woman openly embraces those things, she is frequently judged for it.
“Not because she is necessarily doing something wrong, but because she is refusing to shrink herself to fit other people’s expectations.
“I don’t think empowerment means loving every detail about yourself every single day.
“I don’t think it means having no insecurities, either.
“I think empowerment means reaching a point where your relationship with yourself becomes more important than the approval of strangers.
“And that doesn’t mean everyone has to agree.
“It isn’t really about a bikini.
“It isn’t really about a runway.
“It is about how much freedom women are allowed to have once they stop asking permission to be themselves.”
READ MORE: ‘My £1 football bet spiraled into £140K debt NIGHTMARE – don’t make the same mistake as me’
