TOWIE's Saffron talks Ozempic: 'I'm always going to be looked at as the bigger girl’

With a reputation for telling it like it is and not shying away from drama, Saffron Lempriere has been a fixture on The Only Way Is Essex for six years – and she has no intention of stopping now.

Saffron, 31, joined the ITVBe show in 2018, and has just wrapped up filming on another chaos-filled series.

During our exclusive chat, she details how since finding TV fame she has been subject to body shaming and intense trolling, and the impact it has had on her life...

Hi, Saffron! We’re sorry to hear you’ve been having a tough time with trolling recently. What has that been like?

Yeah, I get trolled constantly over my figure, to be honest. I embrace my body totally. If I had a problem, I’d change it myself. I’m a very strong-willed person so it’s not about struggling with my weight. But it is still tough. When I’m in a TV cast of slimmer girls, I’m always going to be looked at as the bigger girl. We’re in 2024 and are meant to have come a long way, but generally that’s how it is. My normal size is a 12 to 14, but then I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid and have put on some weight. Day to day, that doesn’t eat me up, but it seems to eat other people up!

Why do you think people do it?

Calling out my weight is an easy thing to say. If I’ve done something wrong or had an argument with someone, my weight then always gets brought up. I’ve even been trolled by a fellow reality star before. I’ve had a former TOWIE cast member have a row with me and then call me a “fat c***” but say online that she’s empowering women.

That must take a toll on your mental health…

I suffer from anxiety anyway, which is no secret, I’ve been on medication for it. So yeah, of course, the trolling gets to you. I could wake up after the show has aired and people are not only talking about you on the show but your image. I’m not made of steel. I even get accused of being on Ozempic [an injection which can cause weight loss]. And then you think to yourself, “I might as well be on it.” You do consider these mad things. I’m content and happy with who I am, but when people are saying that, it makes you question yourself. I have considered Ozempic and I’ve even taken to the latest fad diets. It’s not because I’m unhappy. It’s because I might want to shed a few pounds. But you can’t win, either way.

Do you ever reply to the trolls?

Sometimes. I’ve gone to the extent of looking up people on LinkedIn because I couldn’t do that to someone, so I think, “Who are you? Where are you working?” People will have “Be kind” in their bio, but then talk to me like that. It’s hard with my job, because I don’t want to instigate any trolling on them by responding. My mum gets very protective and tries to respond. I always have to tell her not to!

You’ve just finished filming TOWIE. How was this season?

It’s been a different but good series. We’ve got different characters, friendship groups and dynamics. We’ve had some amazing ratings, which is really nice. I put that down to us having amazing executives at the moment. We’ve always had good execs, but now they want to hear our stories and are conscious of people’s feelings, too. So trust has been built between the cast and the team, which means we are making great reality TV.

What do you think of Dan Edgar and Ella Rae Wise’s romance?

Me and Amber [Turner, Dan’s ex-girlfriend] have just settled our differences after many years, so I see both sides. But Ella’s really happy and hasn’t done anything wrong. Whatever people think of Amber, it’s under her nose, so you can see why it’s tough, but Dan says that she did him wrong too. I’m friends with all of them, so you’ve just got to see it for what it is – but who knows what will happen? Amber hasn’t left TOWIE, though. There were a lot of things in the press saying that she has, but she hasn’t.

You’re single at the moment, too. Are you looking for love?

Yeah, I’m ready to find someone. If I found the right man, I’d date him on TOWIE. It’d be a great thing for them to follow on camera! It’s hard because men around Essex who are over 30 tend to have jobs and are settled, so they’re not going to come and film some TOWIE scenes and then go to work, are they? I’d love to find my dream man this year though, I’ve had a s**t love life.

Would you go on Celebs Go Dating perhaps?

I’d love to do Celebs Go Dating – I need a bit of advice from the gurus. I do find it harder to date being on TV. People can be a bit intimidated and might want a private life. I’ve always been in long relationships, so I don’t know the dating game, I’d be terrified of going on a dating app or walking into a bar looking for a man!