In late October Gok Wan reappeared on our screens and this time he didn’t come alone, Myleene Klass joined him in the search for Miss Naked Beauty. 7,000 women applied with the winner receiving a sash and responsibility for exposing the sinister side of the beauty industry and we’d like to know whether their definition of natural beauty matched yours?
This was an ambitious program, not only did the women have to possess true natural beauty, they also had to show confidence, sex appeal, spirit and brains.
For some viewers they got it right, ‘I think Gok is wonderful at his job… A year ago I was diagnosed with a long term disease… I felt ugly, awkward and disgusting but Gok Wan’s programs deserve credit for helping make me realise I am gorgeous’.
Others were less moved with one forum member finding the show’s definition of natural hard to swallow. Questioning whether it was appropriate for the judges and presenters to be so ‘preened and made up’, she made a plea for program makers to ‘stop the hypocrisy now!’
In addition, complaints received by Viewer Enquires included people who were not convinced by the format. They suggested that instead of empowering, the show ‘encourages the women into vulnerable situations… only to leave them at the mercy of those horrible judges who tear apart their personalities’.
If you watched it get involved in the debate, please leave a comment and join us when Miss Naked Beauty is discussed on The TV Show, Saturday 6 December.
If you missed the show, watch it on Channel 4’s catch up service.
Commentsoldest first
on one level i found this programme very watchable. i like Gok Wan and his feel good factor. however on a more serious note this show was completely hypocritical!
why was every girl in the final line up so attractive to begin with? surely it the less physically attractive girls that would benefit from some posative representaion?
why is the ethos of the show ‘you are beautiful how you are- unless your a goth?
why in the name of god did they parade on a catwalk in their UNDERWEAR?!
AND i fail to see how this show can really be uplifting and inspiring when the girls layed thier hearts on the line and poured thier blood, sweat and tears into every challenge thrown at them, only to be torn to pieces by the disguisting judges? what is this dragons den?!
OH MY GOODNESS… you just dont understand gok is a god!!! just by watching that programme i felt better about myself.
have the girlies of all shapes and sizes prade round in there undies not only takes guts but they look gorgoues!! and if you think no…GOK you need to slap em!!
yea the judges where abit harsh but that is nothing compared to the ugly side of beauty, and the girls needed to be ready for that
they achieved so much in that prgramme for getting a avarge size manakin in a shop window for getting people to take off there slap!! every part of this programme woz perfection!!
GOK all the women in the world LOVE YOU xxxx
I can’t believe how crass this show was, but watchable.
I mean it was so naff complaining about the risks of cosmetic surgery etc when you know that Myleene had liposuction and the rest after giving birth!!!!
Women don’t want to look at a fat lump and say ‘that’s what I want to be!’
The choice may allow British women to carry on cramming chocolate in their mouths without guilt, but women don’t want to be fat.
Gok is the best!! i watch most of his programs and i find it really moving how all those women who find themselves ugly are totally different when goks finished with them. He’s a great person and i have learn’t alot from him as in my way i look and treat women
I enjoyed the show because I love GOK, and I love how he transforms women and helps boost their confidence BUT I don’t understand WHY every woman has to parade around in their underwear or naked to prove they are comfortable with their body and looks.
You can have confidence in yourself without needing to do this, so what if some women don’t want to strip off naked in the gym changing room and prance around in front of everyone else – this does not mean that they are not a confident person or have body hang ups.
I think all the girls on the show were great and confident in their own right, but those judges could be very harsh and nasty and belittled them in fornt of the others on some occassions.
Gok stood up for them which was great.
Gok Wan is amazing. I don’t know how he does it but if someone is able to inject confidence in someone to the degree which Gok Wan does, who can condemn him?
I really liked this show and am a big fan of Gok’s work, but I have to agree with Kat’s comment. I didn’t quite understand the swimsuit ending.
I would like to see more shows like this, but with fashion advice and tips for men. I’ve seen so much of Gok’s work on TV that I can now dress my girlfriend, but still have real problems dressing myself!
I was amazed by the finalists they chose for this show… The winner was a worthy winner, but she was about the only one out of the whole group who showed any hint of this supposed ‘natural beauty’ they were talking about.
All of those women seemed addicted to make up… SURELY, as advocates for natural beauty this would have been one of the first criteria to kick them out!
And – as the above comment pointed out… parading them in their underwear… necessary? I think not.
All of the finalists were beautiful, fairly slim (some of them had the proportions of models, none of them were >size 16.) and frankly, the judges were right to slate them, as some of their presentations were dreadful.
I’m a bit of a girly Gok devotee, and it disappointed me so much that the women selected in this show were so NOT appropriate. I wish I’d applied now!
I totally loved watching Miss Naked Beauty and thought it was a really good show, which made me think.
It made me look at cosmetic surgery in a totally different way. I used to use sunbeds quite a lot, as I always felt better with a tan, but now I’d rather use a self tanning lotion than o anywhere near a sunbed!
I think the task’s they set the girls were fair and showed that the high street really needs to rethink it’s advertising. However I think sometimes the jusdges comments were very critical and personal too, which I didn’t think was appropriate or called for.
Gok Wan in my eyes is brilliant at his job, and as made me a more confident woman, since watching his shows, I even dress better these days too.
I second everything in the above post. Gok Wan has positively encouraged individuality as true beauty in his other programmes but this one left a sour taste in my mouth. Why on earth customise clothes on Gok’s Fashion Fix, dye womens’ hair pink on How to Look Good Naked and encourage people to be themselves, but then tell the world that dressing a bit differently – like a goth or whatever – is ‘unnatural’? I felt that they took a group of very different women, all beautiful and interesting in their own right, and made them uniform to fit the ambitions of the programme. Very, very sad.
*the only black girl that was left in the final twelve or so had a weave!?! its 2008 surely the people that make the show know that Black people naturally have afro hair we do not have straight hair naturally.
The show needed more diversity
more different races sizes (they had a few but not enough) I knew that some Charlotte Church kinda girl would win an English rose with so called ‘curves’ please curves r size 16+.
Gok Wan is the man though I agree he is so watchable but I wish he would make a show that was abit more edgy that didnt assume that the viewer has no discerning opinion on style themselves. I mean look at all the art schools& arts industries full of cool looking people innercity style of places like Manc LDN etc lookinat what is really going on here and maybe comparing it with whats going on in NY or Tokyo or Rio De Janero or just random citys maybe talk 2 some celebs (can i work on this show if u do it Gok?)
Heyy,
To Be Honest I Lovee Thiss Show, I Watch All Of Gok Wans Show All The Time!!! The Idea Of Miss Naked Beauty Is FABB!!!!!!! I Like Gok Wan Because He Was Born In Leicester Which Is Where I Live!! And He Is The Person I Look Up Too, So I Reallii Wanna Be Just Like Him, To Be A Sytlist!!!
I Think He Should Do Some New Of How To Look Good Naked!!!
Thanks
Roshni
Well i think that GOK cant do any wrong, he makes women feel like they ARE worth something, i do see wot he is trying to do, by coming from every angle there is which i do feel any woman given the job would definatley NOT be able to do it as women are very bitchy when it comes to lookin at another woman who could possibly look better than them or have a better body etc, i dont think you would get the real truth that GOK does give, or most women would be offended by another womens oppinion whether good or bad its just wot we are like, thats why GOK is so FANTASTIC at his job.
The only down thing for me on the program was Myleen i really dont think she could cope with givin any kind of real oppinion on what any of the girls looked like, as i think she was worried about how this would affect any future ambitions she may wanna take on, all in all leave GOK to do his job as he is the only truthful honest stylest that can give women any size, shape, colour confidence to get to know themselves and love the person they are, he is in a league of his own lets let him keep helping us and take any advise he may give, as we all know the truth does hurt most of the time, he has taken the time out to put this right, so dont pull him down for it, at the end of the day if women were more honest with themselves and helped themselves more (mentally and physically) there probably wouldnt be any need for GOK, i can say all this as i am a 31 year old mother of SIX and i really take to heart his advise, i got myself in the gym and now im a more confident size and happy with myself, and he helped me be happy with all my hang ups, i hope i havent offended anybody in sayin any of this, i just think be honest we all look forward to watching GOKS programmes as they really do help and make a difference to our outlook and the way we do things, LOVE THE GOK AND WHAT HE DOES HE HELPS US ; )
I enjoyed the show, and as ever it made me think about how i see myself, and how i judge those around me. I think the point of the underwear section was to show how the contestants need to be comfortable and confident in their body, bumps and all, not hiding behind fashion or make up. To me the show was about accepting yourself as you are, and working with what you’ve got to make you feel like the beautiful confident woman you deserve to be, and not conforming to what the media and cosmetic world would have you believe is beautiful.It was a difficult balance but i think the show pulled it off, did for me anyway.
i love Gok Wan and adore his series how to look good naked.
i loved miss naked beauty. It was interesting hearing all the different views on natural beauty and seeing the girls in the competition grow in confidence as the weeks went by.
However i didn’t agree with everything. i very much admired Dawn for sticking to her opinion and thought in the end she was the one who went on the biggest journey having to loose all the make-up and piercings that defined her. i have quite a few piercings and tattoos myself so know where she is coming from. i totally agree with her that choice is also a very important part of natural beauty as personality and confidence are both very natural and sexy. it just shows that you don’t have to be stripped of everything to be totally natural being yourself is just as beautifully natural.
I LOVE YOU GOK WANNNN <3
Your amazing
The show is amazing
I want to be on it
I love you I love you I love you I love you
Your biggest fannn xox
IM IN LOVE WITH GOK WAN! after reading just a handful of stories on here, it just shows how much of an effect gok has made on women’s lives! i do agree with At (12:47 pm on December 4, 2008 Paul) he should give guys fashion tips, as i know a lot of men who would appreciate abit of advice! all hail, Gok!x
I found the programme very watchable, but it did seem that Shona was destined to win from the word “go”. I just hope she proves as confident and approachable as she was portrayed in the show. I love both Gok and Myleene. They are such great role-models for us Anglo-Orientals.
I love Gok think he is amazing!! He really shows me how to dress to suit my shape and in some way makes me feel better about the way i look at the same time
GO GOK!!
xxx
I have no actual complaints about Gok in the programme Miss Naked Beauty, but i feel that the judges were way to harsh with the contestants and some of their comments were uncalled for. I think they had to remember that the contestants werent pros at the tasks they were given so they werent going to get it absolutly right every time.
I was shocked and confused when they were complaing about the way Dawn looked, just because she was a goth. I thought the show was about beeing yourself, and im sorry but putting make-up on doesnt make you any different. The show was making them all the same no individuality, like they had before they came onto the show. They were all made into what the show wanted them to be.
However I’m glad that a red head won it, because i was sure from the beginning that i would be a blonde or a brunette as always, and when Lucinda went i thought that this was gonna happen, but no i was stood corrected. GO SHONA!!
By the way dont think i completly hated the show i wantched every episode and i really liked it they were just the things that i didnt
Keep up the good work thought maybe do a fashion show for teens if possible instead of just adult
I love Gok’s shows and everything that he does but I think the judges on Miss Naked Beauty were awful, they were so harsh to the contestants, at times I found it unwatchable
I think Gok is brilliant with the work he does with women to boost their the confidence and make them feel better about them.
I was quite shocked at some of the finalistsof the show especially one of the girls called Jo who is in a girl band and seem to use the show to boost her bands’ career which is such a shame, but the winner of the show so rightly deserved to winner as she was definitley a natural beauty.
I usually love Gok but I felt that this latest programme sent mixed messages and was somewhat contradictive. The choise of co-host was poor given her previous partisipation in endless airbrushed beauty shots. The judges were equally as hypocrytical and I feel that if there is to be another series of miss naked beauty the message needs to be more clear. Gok go back to what you do best!!!
I found this programme entirely contradictory to its supposed meaning, and one of the most shocking examples of hypocrisy in this subject area that I have ever seen. Not only were women forced to parade around with no clothes/make-up on when they were told, but they were degraded when they didn’t fit into the programme makers’ ideas of what “natural beauty” is. There was one scene where the girls were being judged at the end of one of the shows, and the only lady who was truly confident, loved her body and was a fabulous example to young girls (a South African blonde lady), was told that girls probably wouldn’t like her, and there was something “smug” about her. It seemed as though unless you were able to admit some huge insecurity to the judging panel, you were deemed unsuitable or unlikeable. This woman was truly confident and very beautiful – this is something many people are jealous of or find it hard to deal with – and this programme exhibited it once again. Not every girl is insecure. Not every girl needs Gok Wan to stand there and tell her how to dress or that she’s beautiful in order to believe it. And that is something this programme omitted to recognise. It was degrading to women and missed the whole point of its mission.
I like Gok Wan, but thought this show was ridiculous.
An assignment one week was to write an article about the Pros and cons of plastic surgery!! No pros were given at all and the only person who dared to think differently was Gemma and I believe this is why she was booted off.
Surely miss naked beauty is all for being natural, being yourself… why then was it that Gemma was penalised for her ‘pro surgery’ opinion – and was told “ you don’t have what it takes. “ Just because she disagreed and dared to have her own opinion.
The others… especially the winner, just sounded like they were reading from a script the whole time… saying only what the judges wanted to hear.
They were told to “See what surgery is about”, “not being judgemental…” they didn’t show the details behind the patient’s decision, or how these things effect their lives.
I was so pleased that Gemma stuck to her guns and didn’t back down when it was obvious that Mica Paris was not happy when she said through gritted teeth “ Do you believe in plastic Surgery?” In a threatening way. She might as well have been saying.. How dare you believe in plastic surgery!!??
I am really sad that the programme was so biased and unwilling to look at another side of plastic surgery.
Gok Wan is amazing and I would love him to sort out my hang ups. I love his fashion programs and the positivity he exudes for women. His fashion tips are amazing and I love the way he describes womens bad bits in a fun way e.g bangers.
I started out enjoying this show Miss Naked Beauty but by the end felt disillusioned by it. I agee with the comments made earlier that woman who are not comfortable without wearing makeup perhaps should have been weeded out at the beginning. I don’t understand the weeding out at the end with the polaroide shot. It eliminated one of my favourite girls who I feel excelled at everything else. Also having a finalist with tatoos isn’t very natural either even though Dawn was truly lovely. I also didn’t understand why the were made up to the nines for the final and what the swimwear was all about. Myleene however lovely she is as a personality wasn’t really helping the natural image. Perhaps Nell McAndrew would have been better as she isn’t someone constantly made up to the nines. The judges were harsh and this wasn’t necessary.
I did love the nightclub challenge in Essex + the make under. An interesting series but not sure I’d watch a second.
Gok rocks though I’m hoping I get his book for Xmas.
Helen xx
I watched several episodes of the show and felt that each was individually pretty good. The show didn’t seem to gel together as a whole series though. I felt there were some pretty mixed messages about what the role “Miss Naked Beauty” should be… was it all open to the contestants’ individual interpretation? The red carpet event also seemed slightly off the message of the show (as I saw it), if “Miss Naked Beauty” was supposed to be comfortable in her own skin, why did three such attractive women feel the need to wear so much make-up? Doesn’t this just cover up their “natural beauty”?
I enjoyed the show and was pleased that my favourite girl won, but I think ‘Naked Beauty’ was possibly the wrong title and ‘Natural Beauty’ or ‘Real Beauty’ might have been better. Like many women, I love Gok and would benefit from a day out shopping with him, but I felt the judges were a little harsh and the girls were too heavily made up for the final. I agree with many others that the swimsuit round was inappropriate.
Any programme which makes us look at the way women are portrayed in the media and on television has to be a good thing.
Perhaps next we could have ‘Naked Newsreaders and Weather Girls’? I’m fed up with seeing stick insects who look as though they could do with a good meal!
This man should be knighted – I am just sat watching Look Good Naked this evening. Gok actually changes peoples lives, he gives women their self confidence back which is probably the best gift anyone could give you. In my opinion this man is a legend
i love your show but can you or any 1 please tell me where i can buy a dress with sleeves in?! and not such a low neck. its jus all designers think the same…. no sleeves low neck short cut above the knee. not every 1 likes the same.!
I missed the final show so dont know who won Miss Naked Beauty. Please put a picture on the web site as cannot remember names to faces. Thanks.
Ingrid – there is a picture of Shona, the winner of Miss Naked Beauty, here
http://www.channel4.com/life/microsites/M/missnakedbeauty/
Sorry Gok – this show isn’t you. I stopped watching when your panel of judges made contestants cry. For someone who professes to love womwn (and How To Look Good Naked epitomised the ‘all woman are beautiful’ philosophy) this show is more like the X factor with the “how-to-strip-away-any-self-confidence-that-exists” ethos” Please do NOT do this sort of show again – you might as well be Trinny and Susannah if you do. Go back to what you do well, or you will definitely lose your fan base
I like Gok – but not in this type of tv format
I absolutely love Gok, I think he is an inspiration to all women and although I love the concept of the programme I didnt think it was as good as Fashion Fix and How to Look Good Naked. But I loved what the programme stood for, sent out a positive message about women for once!
I never got to watch the whole series but i saw a couple of the episodes; I thoroughly enjoyed them and although there may be some flaws (someone pointed out how made-up the judges and presenters are) I think that those can be put aside as the message of the show is much more important.
It may not work for everyone but if it can make some people feel better about their body then that is a great thing! I was particularly happy with the episode against plastic surgery for the sake of vanity, that phrase “am i nice and thin now?” is something i wont forget.
My only regret is that I didnt get to try out for the competition myself! I am a strong believer in natural beauty – i dont believe in plastic surgery unless its for corrective purposes (ie making a broken nose look how it used to, or fixing disfigurements etc) and i really dont like makeup!! Foundation to coverup your spots?? that stuff will only make your skin worse!! People look much nicer without slap an inch thick all over their face! and it makes me sad that most women dont even seem to realise this!
So thank you Gok and all your team for creating this program – its not perfect but its a much needed change of direction where beauty is concerned! The media needs more of this attitude!
I used to like How to Look Good Naked, but Miss Naked Beauty has made me see Gok Wan in a whole new light. This wasn’t an empowering programme, it was an exploitative, demeaning, thoroughly unpleasant one.
How much more self-loathing can women take from TV?
Where are all the programmes being so critical and condescending towards men?
The way to combat the toxic effects of the beauty industry and the media on women, is not like this: undress them, parade them around on TV for scrutiny (wet, dry and in poster format), have lad mag editors judge them (capable of uttering such gems as “it’s just bollocks isn’t it” when an entrant suggested that we should value female scientists) and then assuming they will give up their careers if they win.
Maybe this seemed like a good idea in its embryonic format, but somewhere along the line it got taken over by the misogynist media elements who seem to have some kind of knee-jerk connection between female on TV and vulnerability, weakness, superficiality and of course always sex.
Channel 4 seems committed to its anti-racism agenda, but it has yet to get to grips with its anti-sexism one.
They were wearing an inch thick of makeup because they were told to by the show producers.
One of the contestants explained that they were told to turn up fully made up and dressed up and were given no idea of what would be expected of them. Then they were told to undress and walk the length of the pier. And then there was the notorious pool scene where they turned up and were given 15 seconds to decide if they would take off their clothes. They had no idea they would then be hosed down and filmed (by presumably male camera men). One woman wasn’t wearing a bra and was really upset and Gok rushed to her side and said “wait for the cameras!”
To those commenters criticising women for not having the confidence to go sans makeup, it’s beyond me how they can see this kind of programme-making as in the interests of women.
The more I think about this, the more outrageous I realise it really was.
Imagine if the concept had been to get black people to be proud of being naturally black and away from the pressures to conform to white expectations.
And they’d been made to stand in a pool, stripped almost naked and hosed down while being filmed by a bunch of white guys and a camp agony aunt.
Then made to parade and compete to a panel of judges which included no less than an ex-racist journalist.
I mean it’s beyond crass and offensive isn’t it.
I’ve just seen the first five shows on my laptop,how wonderful for the ladies involved,it was life changing for each of them ,the confidence it gave was incredible.I’m certain that it must have helped many viewers to see themselves in a differant way and hlped them to change their outlook about themselves.
when will you do a show for the older man ,we need help too !
Leave a comment
* Required field.