For 37 years, I tucked my saggy, ‘apron fold’ tummy into trousers and hid it with baggy tops. Then at 60 I finally discovered how to banish it for good. Now I’m a size 10 and proudly wearing bikinis for the first time

For nearly 40 years, I lived with a secret that shaped everything; how I dress, how I stand, and even how I feel in my marriage.

I became a master of disguise. I would hide behind a bag, bend my body so the cameras wouldn’t catch me from the side, choose clothes that wouldn’t slip, not stick, and I definitely wouldn’t wear a bikini.

Why? My stomach hung around my waist like a big apron. This made me feel old, overweight, and frankly, unwanted.

But I became so adept at hiding my belly that even my husband Richard didn’t realize how much it affected my self-confidence. I found it easier to make a joke (I even nicknamed my belly ‘Fred’ among family members) than to admit how distressing I found it.

In fact, Richard didn’t learn the truth until closer to my 60th birthday; So I decided it was time to do something radical and gave myself the best gift I’ve ever received: a £9,000 tummy tuck.

I was always around a size 10, 8st stone, until I got pregnant with our twin girls Heather and Laura at age 23. But I wore the 3rd during pregnancy.

Life at our home in Southport was brutal with two newborn babies. Richard was in the army and most of the time I was exhausted and making do on my own. Like many mothers, I put myself last.

But I wanted to lose the baby weight and tried everything from Slimming World to endless Zumba classes. Nine months after giving birth, despite losing nearly a stone and a half, my stomach suddenly collapsed onto my hips.

Even though it looked like the loose skin most people experience after extreme weight loss, it still looked oily. It was so demoralizing to put so much effort into losing my baby weight, only to be left with what felt like an ugly spare tire.

Even though no one commented on it, I couldn’t help but notice the rude looks I got when I was out with the girls.

As a result of this and my newfound feelings of self-loathing, I even hid myself in front of Richard, changing in the bathroom or with the lights off. Almost overnight I went from feeling sexy to flamboyant and I hated it.

My self-awareness temporarily halted our sexual life. In the decades since, the long-term impact of my lack of trust on our intimacy has been one of the hardest things because I love Richard so much and our marriage means everything to me.

I initially hoped that my stomach would return to its pre-pregnancy state if I continued with traditional weight loss methods, but it turned out I was wrong. Unfortunately, in these cases, surgery is often the only option. Realizing that there is no ‘cure’ or that the quick fix is ​​destructive.

When the girls were five, I gave birth to our son, Asheton. He was a big baby at 9lbs and in the months after birth ‘Fred’ became even bigger than before.

Even though my legs and upper body would fit into size 12 clothes, I needed a size 16 to cover my stomach.

In the years that followed, my body hatred became so ingrained that hiding my figure became second nature.

As a mother of three and working a demanding job as head of a nursery school, I threw myself into work and childcare, hiding my sadness behind practicalities and a well-honed cheating technique, from my loose wardrobe to always using a bag as ‘armor’.

June’s belly before and immediately after surgery in February

Richard said post-surgery June was singing around the house for the first time in years

If the subject of my figure came up, I would try to laugh it off; This is how the nickname ‘Fred’ was born. Even though I look good on the outside, things have never been easier.

I first considered having a tummy tuck when I was 42, in 2008, when the kids were 19 and 14, but I told myself it was too indulgent and the money should be spent on other things, other people.

I struggled for 16 more years. But things got even harder about 18 months ago, when, at age 58, I had an emergency hysterectomy after years of pain and heavy bleeding from endometriosis.

As strange as it sounds, I secretly hoped that one good thing about this surgery would be that my stomach would shrink in size afterwards. However, due to scarring and swelling, the opposite happened.

My friends told me that I was quieter and more reserved; I felt like I aged ten years overnight.

Then, as my 60th birthday approached, I began to take stock of my life and the misery my stomach was causing me. That’s when I thought, if not now, when?

Around the same time, my daughter encouraged me to join TikTok. Richard and I were retired at the time and he suggested I document our travels in Europe.

I started sharing short videos in May 2025. This small step changed my life more than I expected.

June is in her early twenties and is pregnant with twin daughters Heather and Laura.

And when she was 16, she was relaxing by the swimming pool with the man she would marry, Richard.

I started selling products through my TikTok store, and this little endeavor gave me both the confidence and financial means to finally invest in myself.

Richard was fully supportive of me having a tummy tuck and after careful research I chose Pall Mall Medical in Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside. Although the £9,000 cost seemed steep, I knew finding myself again would be worth it.

I remember nervously asking if I was too old for this procedure and feeling a huge sense of relief when the surgeon told me I wasn’t his first 60-year-old patient.

He advised me to lose weight first for a better result and I lost 10 kilos with a strict calorie counting diet, which brought me down to 11st 7 kilos.

The procedure, performed in February this year, took approximately two hours under general anesthesia. I woke up wrapped in a tight bandage and dressings that I had to wear day and night for six weeks.

When I returned to the clinic a week later to have my drain removed, I saw my stomach properly for the first time. Even though he was bruised and swollen, I could see that Fred was gone.

I was stunned but delighted when the nurse told me that over 10 pounds of fat and skin had been removed.

Recovery required patience and plenty of rest. But once the binder came out, the feeling was indescribable.

I felt euphoric and instantly started dreaming of clothes I felt I could wear with confidence again.

A few weeks later Richard and I went on holiday to Spain. I felt younger than I had in decades with my new wardrobe, which consisted of slim-fit size 10-12 dresses, shirts tucked into jeans, and yes, bikinis.

Richard tells me I look great, but says the change in my body is much less dramatic than the change in my personality. He recently told me that I was singing around the house for the first time in years. I didn’t even realize I stopped.

People may accuse me of arrogance, but this isn’t just about getting my wardrobe back. It’s about regaining my joy of life. At 60, I’m really excited about what the future holds.

Now I know it’s never too late to put yourself first. I wish I hadn’t waited so long.

Follow June on TikTok @june.healthbeauty

As told to Matthew Barbour