My thoughts as a Christian woman on Ulrika Jonsson’s bold rebuttal to ageism

Jemimah Wright reflects on Ulrika Jonsson’s powerful response to negative comments on her appearance.

When Ulrika Jonsson, 57, appeared on Spencer Matthews’ Untapped podcast recently, she expected to talk about her journey through alcoholism, her hard-won sobriety, and the transformation she’s experienced, inside and out. What I am sure she didn’t expect was the barrage of “nasty” comments about her appearance.

Despite speaking vulnerably about her mental health battles and her year of sobriety, many online fixated not on her words, but her face, specifically, how old they thought she looked. “I understand that an over-tanned, imperfect and AGEING face offends you,” she wrote on Instagram in response. “But try to listen to the words rather than constantly judge women’s appearance. You might learn something.”