Thanks for joining me for the third episode in the new series (8.) This week I'm building on a wonderful conversation I had over lunch at a Creed launch last month with model and content creator Ben James. We happened to be seated next to each other and I found him to be so engaging and illuminating I thought I had to ask him to come on the podcast!

Ben is a ‘plus size’/‘big & tall’ model, which he explains in more depth in our chat. He is 6’ 6 and has a 42” chest, so is not traditional ’sample size’. He models for brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Jacamo as well as cultivating a huge following (275K) on TikTok for his outfit advice and content about watches. Ben is also a photographer who has shot campaigns for brands here in the UK and U.S.

Whilst Ben is now at a stage where he’s using his height as a positive force in his career, he was over 6 ft as a young teenager. Standing out - and the adverse attention that attracted when you’re so young had a real impact on his weight and his mental health, which he says more about during our conversation. Ben was a really frank, honest and articulate guest who made me re-evaluate my attitude to height and stature - and made me realise it can be a more complex and nuanced thing to deal with, especially as a young man.

Some of the products Ben mentioned were:

Cerave - Cleanser

https://www.boots.com/cerave-foaming-cleanser-236ml-10246702#BVRRContainer

Heath - Eye Serum

https://www.heathlondon.co.uk/collections/face/products/eye-serum

Fjor - Hydrolytic Moisturiser

https://www.fjor.life/products/hydrolytic-moisturizer

SPF, Sea Salt Spray and Jade Roller/Gua Sha

Penhaligons Helfeti

https://www.penhaligons.com/uk/en/product/halfeti-000000000065188931

Christian Dior - Oud Rosewood

https://www.dior.com/en_gb/beauty/products/oud-rosewood-Y0996414.html

Molton Brown - Clementine & Vetiver

https://www.moltonbrown.co.uk/store/fragrance/citrus-fragrances/sunlit-clementine-vetiver-eau-de-parfum-100ml/NMR342

Ben is on TikTok at

https://www.tiktok.com/@ben_jjames

And on Instagram at:

https://www.instagram.com/ben_jjames

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