BBC Breakfast star Tina Dahaley has spoken out on what she calls the ‘damaging’ pressure to ‘snap back’ after giving birth.
The broadcaster, 41, welcomed her first child, a daughter, last April with her fiancé Kane William-Smith and returned to work on the BBC Breakfast sofa and on Radio 2 earlier this year.
But in an article for British Vogue, Tina explains how she was bombarded with speculation from viewers that she was expecting again, citing the ‘immense amount of pressure on women, particularly in my industry, around the way they look.’
Working mum: BBC Breakfast star Tina Dahaley has spoken out on what she calls the ‘damaging’ pressure to ‘snap back’ after giving birth (pictured in June 2022)
Tina explained how during one morning at work on BBC Breakfast she started getting Google Alerts on her phone, from people speculating about whether she was pregnant.
Last that week she was congratulated on her ‘baby news,’ at a wedding.
Tina insists ‘we need to cut women a bit of slack. I’ve worked relentlessly for over a decade and then had a baby.’
‘Now that I’m back it’s important to normalise the fact that women’s bodies change after giving birth. I’m currently a size 12 and people are speculating that I’m pregnant.’
Daughter: The broadcaster, 41, welcomed her first child, a daughter, last April with her fiancé Kane William-Smith and returned to work on the BBC Breakfast sofa earlier this year
Tina says that she doesn’t want to spend any free time she has away from work in the gym, pointing out:
‘My priority is and always will be my daughter, she’s my everything. I didn’t want to spend hours in a gym after having a baby.’
‘And I shouldn’t be made to feel like I have to spend hours of my life trying to get back to what I was – hours that would take me away from my daughter, when there are already hours that take me away from her because I’m a working mum.’
Tina also wrote about the pressure she has felt to regain her pre-pregnancy figure in a recent Instagram post.
Toxic: Tina insists ‘ I’ve worked relentlessly for over a decade and then had a baby. Now that I’m back it’s important to normalise the fact that women’s bodies change’
‘I would like to have the body I had before and have recently restarted my relationship with fitness so we’ll see how it goes – but if this is the cost for having a little piece of my heart toddling around the world every day, I’d do it a thousand times over,’ she declared.
‘And even though I work in an industry where it may count against me.’
Sharing a snap of herself looking incredible in the black dress, Tina explained she ‘loved’ the snap ‘apart from my body’, explaining that her ‘instinct was to crop it’.
Tina proudly declared: ‘But I changed my mind so here it is. This is ALL OF ME, post C-section, 18 months on. (See you @bbcbreakfast sofa from 6 tomorrow).’
Candid: Tina also wrote about the pressure she has felt to regain her pre-pregnancy figure in a recent Instagram post
Her fans quickly rushed to support her, with one penning: ‘My goodness what an incredible & beautiful body!! Love this picture and your words so much!’
Someone else agreed: ‘Your body is a machine and the greatest one you’ll ever own, love your gratitude.’
‘You were beautiful before you were beautiful when you were pregnant and you’re beautiful now!’ a third fan echoed.
A fourth said: ‘Incredibly smart talented funny stunning woman all the rest is noise nonsense and yet it’s so exhausting. More power to you goddess.’
Tina announced she was expecting her first child back in December 2020 when she shared a photo of her baby bump and revealed she was over five months pregnant.
Mother: Tina says that she doesn’t want to spend any free time she has away from work in the gym, pointing out: ‘My priority is and always will be my daughter’ (pictured during pregnancy)
Captioning the post, she wrote: ‘Some exciting news to share! Beyond thrilled to be welcoming a new addition to our family in Spring 2021. Thank you @bbcradio2 family for all your lovely messages this morning.’
While the presenter typically keeps her private life away from social media, her fiancé Kane occasionally features in sporadic posts – including Tina confirming the couple’s engagement via Instagram in January 2018.
Tina confirmed her engagement to long-term partner Kane in January 2018, sharing a photo of her sparkling ring on Instagram
She wrote alongside the image: ‘07.01.18 Making plans for the rest of our lives.’
After reading the news on the Radio 1 breakfast show for several years, Tina covered events such as the pre-election debate and fronted her first Panorama programme – about the Manchester bombing.
She has since become a regular fixture on the BBC Breakfast sofa alongside the likes of Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty, Louise Minchin and Jon Kay as well as work on Radio 2.
Inseparable: Tina confirmed her engagement to Kane in January 2018 by sharing a photo of her sparking ring (pictured)
