Saturday Magazine – August 10, 2019

Words by: Tricia MartinW

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Do ya think

I’m sexy?

Kathy Burke asks us what beauty

really means in her fascinating –

and funny – look at life as a woman

S

he’s known for comedy and made

her name as Waynetta Slob, with

Absolutely Fabulous and Gimme

Gimme Gimme also on her CV.

Now actress and writer Kathy Burke has

turned documentary-maker for a three-part

series on being a woman. She tackles the

meaning of beauty, motherhood, and sex

and relationships. In episode one, Kathy

asks how the world today views us and

how we view – and judge – ourselves.

There’s plenty of witty banter and

up-front honesty as Kathy tells it like it is.

This is womanhood, warts and all. And it’s

a fascinating, thought-provoking watch.

WHEN KATHY MET MEGAN

Kathy spends time with Love

Islander Megan Barton Hanson

as she gets ‘red carpet ready’

and hears the list of cosmetic

procedures Megan’s had –

including two boob jobs,

having her ears pinned back,

a nose job, lip fillers and

veneers. ‘In my twenties I

saved my money to get my

teeth fixed,’ admits Kathy. ‘But

I’m blessed with a high,

fat arse. So I have one

thing over Kim

Kardashian

that I’ve

never

had to

pay for.’

THE

MAN WHO

CAPTURED KATHY

Kathy hates having her

photo taken, but catches up

with her pal, photographer

Rankin, who shot her for

International Women’s Day in

2011 (main picture). They meet to

do some publicity shots for the

series, but she’s got no time for

tricks like photoshopping.

‘A little bit of turd-polishing,’

she laughs. ‘But don’t

roll it in glitter.’

At the end of her investigations, Kathy

counts her blessings and ponders the

pressure young women are under today:

PAINTED LADY

Kathy meets Sue Tilley, artist Lucian

Freud’s most famous muse, who he

called Big Sue. His nude paintings of her

have sold for record figures. ‘Centuries

ago there’d be lots of paintings of the

bigger woman,’ says Kathy. ‘Being

an overweight woman at 54 is who

I am. They say beauty is in the

eye of the beholder. But that’s

b*****ks. Some of us are

lookers, some not so much.’

‘I would hate it if I had a daughter

who was 20 and looked like me. Can

you imagine the abuse she would

get? I have days where I hate my

double chin or wish I could lose

some weight but I don’t think that’s

because I’m a woman. I think it’s

because I’m human.’

KATHY BURKE: ALL WOMAN

Tues 10pm C

PAINTED LADY

Kathy meets Sue

Freud’s most fam

called Big Sue. H

have sold for reco

ago there’d be

bigger woma

an overweig

I am. The

eye of

b*****

looke

SATURDAY MAGAZINE 13

TV FEATURE