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Georgie Aldous
Georgie James Aldous (born 5 July 1998) is a British social activist,[1] model[2] and influencer.[3] In 2017 he became the first male beauty model for Superdrug,[4][5] New Look[2] and Primark,[6] after launching a petition in 2016[7] to get more men on British make-up campaigns.[8][9][1][7] Early lifeAldous was born on 5 July 1998 in Great Yarmouth, England.[10] He attended Ormiston Venture Academy[11] and began posting vlogs on YouTube in 2014[12][13] when he graduated to overcome bullying and social anxiety.[14] At the age of 18 he was known as one of the top male beauty vloggers in the UK[15] and the first British male beauty influencer to feature on Instagram's beauty report.[5] Activism#GetMenOnMakeupCampaignsAldous began campaigning in 2017[1] for more men to be featured in British make-up campaigns after American makeup company CoverGirl announced it would be having its first CoverBoy, James Charles. He then began a petition on Change.org titled #GetMenOnMakeupCampaigns, calling on major beauty brands like Superdrug, Boots, Rimmel and Maybelline to start including men in their make-up campaigns to bring down hate crime.[7] Aldous stated that he did contact brands, brand owners, PR teams and marketing teams about the lack of male representation but after receiving a lame excuse, a thanks for the feedback or a suspected bribery of free products, he created the campaign.[8] This all changed when he made history[16] and became the first male beauty model for Superdrug in 2017,[4] which was then followed by Rimmel announcing their first male spokesperson.[17] This opened up a discussion around beauty counters for men and Aldous told Yahoo Style UK[18] that he thinks it's a bad move for the beauty industry and that it creates a gender divide. Online pharmaciesAfter being taken to the James Paget University Hospital in August 2024 with Tachycardia, panic attacks and panic disorder,[19] Aldous spoke out in a video posted to his Instagram account[20] and YouTube channel[21] urging online pharmacies like LloydsPharmacy to implement stricter checks when prescribing weight loss medication online, especially to those who suffer with an eating disorder. He stated he did not medically need the drug due to not having diabetes and after losing 50 pounds (23 kg) over the course of five months,[22] he began to feel frail and weak due to eating a minimal amount of food.[22][23] Aldous also stated he thinks it is dangerous that the NHS may provide Mounjaro to those on benefits.[24] He also called out the NHS for not being trained enough on the drug after they sent him home originally with anxiety disorder.[21] Due to the effects of Tirzepatide on Aldous' body, he had to receive high-level Cognitive behavioral therapy and in December 2024 was taking Sertraline and Propranolol.[20] In December 2024 Aldous appeared on LBC[25] with Matthew Wright and in January 2025 on Good Morning Britain[26] with Kate Garraway, Adil Ray and Dr Amir Khan to discuss his experience on Mounjaro. Gay rightsIn 2016, British clothing brand Jacamo (owned by N Brown Group) were accused of gender stereotyping after posting an advert on Twitter showing a model next to a "real man". Aldous spoke out publicly[27][28] and stated he thought the advert was "homophobic",[29][30][31] and "I feel like I am constantly trying to be shoved into a category that I do not want to be in, I feel like I should have to like football, not like the colour pink, shouldn’t dye my hair and should have a girlfriend because I’m a man. But you couldn’t be more wrong. I am my own person and my gender does not define me or my actions. I like perfume, I wear make-up and I like guys. Does that not make me a real man?”.[32] In 2016 Aldous released a statement reading "It’s nearly 2016 so if you’re still against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender people I am worried for you – Learn to love and respect people for who they truly are".[33] Animal rightsAldous told British clothing brand New Look in an interview when he became their first male beauty model in 2017,[2] that he believes "an animal shouldn't have to suffer for makeup", and that he would "never want to put an animal through suffering" for him to look good. Aldous also stated that "there are so many brands that aren't testing on animals so there is no reason why you can't choose cruelty-free. Beauty isn't worth an animal's pain."[13] Aldous only uses cruelty-free products.[34][35] Personal lifeIn 2016 Aldous disagreed publicly with his mother when she questioned him wearing make-up and asked him if he wanted to be a woman and also if he wanted to be a transvestite.[36][34] In 2018 Aldous told the Eastern Daily Press that he feels his stomach “about 500 times a day” as he struggles with body dysmorphia.[37] He has also been known to raise awareness of body positivity online.[7] In 2020 Aldous said that make-up was his "coping mechanism"[3] after coming out as gay.[38] He said that he began experimenting with make-up as a teenager when he was bullied at school.[3] Substance abuseIn 2020 when England was in a lockdown due to COVID-19,[39] Aldous spoke publicly about his marijuana dependency[40] and how the drug had consumed his every waking thought and resulted in debts of thousands of pounds, and said that he felt the national lockdown had helped him quit his substance abuse. Public abuseIn 2016 Aldous spoke out about the verbal abuse he received in the streets of his hometown Great Yarmouth for wearing make-up online whilst encouraging other men to embrace traditionally female cosmetics.[41][42][34] Aldous released a statement with Sky News on their segment called "The Point:" discussing men wearing make-up and the gender divide that exists within the beauty space. Aldous stated he had received online abuse for crossing that divide,[43][44] including comments that him wearing make-up was against religion and that he should stop trying to be a lady. Aldous urged men to stop letting social conventions dictate who can paint their faces and how, and to enjoy the true freedom of expression.[9] HealthIn 2016 Aldous announced that he lost 3 stone (42 lbs) in three months by becoming vegan and "eating clean",[45] but in 2017 Aldous revealed that he was lying previously and stated that he was actually "addicted" to losing weight and the feeling of hunger. He also stated that he would train so much that he would feel faint due to the lack of calories he was consuming at the time and urged people to not starve themselves to lose weight or to meet expectations.[46] Aldous began using the Tirzepatide drug Mounjaro in March 2024[47][48] after suffering with binge eating disorder and yo-yo dieting.[49] He spoke out in a video posted on his Instagram account[20] and YouTube channel[21] about his experience with the drug after he was taken to the James Paget University Hospital with Tachycardia, panic attacks and panic disorder.[10][50] Aldous stated he thought he was going to die[51][52] and is now calling for online pharmacies like LloydsPharmacy where his Mounjaro was approved,[53] to carry out stricter checks when issuing prescriptions for weight loss medication.[54][55] Business careerIn 2019 Aldous launched the make-up brand Georgie Cosmetics[56] after reaching the brink of depression due to his mother being ill and also from having too much screen time, which stopped Aldous from posting on his Instagram page.[57] The company was then dissolved in 2022 due to the financial impact of COVID-19 and so that Aldous could focus on caring for his mother.[58] References
External linksInformation related to Georgie Aldous |
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