No.1 for Interviews - Melinda Messenger
Melinda Messenger

The model chats to Emma Hayley Dixon about her latest assignment as the body of Ultimo, why being a busty lady has it’s drawbacks and how she could’ve been in Hollywood by now...

When we heard Melinda Messenger was the new face of Ultimo we knew we had to grab her for a chat! The 37-year-old mum of three hasn’t done lingerie modelling for nearly 10 years now – not that you can tell – she looks better than ever! So, squeezing in a chat between all of her hectic photoshoots, we sat Melinda down for a girly gossip about fame, glamour modelling and how on earth she not only fits in a career and kids but how she makes it look so easy!

Becoming a spokesmodel for Scottish lingerie brand Ultimo after three kids is a huge achievement, did you have any reservations at all?
I did yes. Initially I was really surprised that they approached me to do the campaign, and then I was shocked and thought, ‘My God, is this a good idea or not?’, bearing in mind that it’s almost 10 years since I last did that kind of modelling. I was a bit concerned about whether everything was still where it should be on my body [laughs]. But then I just thought, ‘Why the hell not?’

Being a busty lady yourself, what do you think about Ultimo’s D-G cup?
That was the other reason it was so nice to get involved, the underwear is so fantastic and they always do brilliant campaigns. Mel B has done one, and Rachel Hunter and Sarah Harding – they all looked absolutely gorgeous. It’s really lovely underwear, really fantastic designs and they’re very flattering and well-made, and for a larger bust there are certain styles and shapes that are much more flattering and pretty.

Have you had trouble in the past finding clothes and underwear to fit?
Oh definitely! To get something that looks right and flatters you, you have to be so careful. Bras in particular have always been a real bugbear for me – finding the right shape and size makes all the difference. Ultimo do a really lovely range of T-shirt bras with a nice smooth finish, so you get a nice shape and good support – they have definitely got something for every occasion.

As you mentioned, you haven’t done lingerie-style modeling for nearly 10 years – do you think that glamour and lingerie modelling has changed in that time?
I don’t really keep up with what’s going on, but I think there are more men’s magazines around these days, I don’t know if that’s affected the glamour-modelling world. I don’t know if they’ve maybe gone a bit… raunchier. It was much less so when I was doing it – it seems more acceptable than it was though.

Would you have any more surgery in the future?
I had my breasts enlarged when I was 24 and I’m 37 now. I haven’t done anything since then, but I would never say never. I would never do it for work, I would do it for me if I wanted to. I don’t see anything wrong with it at all, provided you’re doing it for the right reasons. You’ve got one life and there‘s no point wasting it being unhappy with yourself – if that’s the road you want to go down and you know what you’re getting involved in then why not? I’d never had any surgery or anything before so it was a bit of a shock to the system at the time. But there’s always something new around the corner so I’m hoping there’ll be some fantastic non-surgical treatments available when I need them!

How do you juggle career and motherhood?
It can be a real challenge – and not always a successful one. It is really hard, sometimes I get so tired because being a mum is a full-time job and then my career is another full-time job and trying to combine the two can be really hard work. I just have to rely on a support network of my mum and the children’s father, Wayne, and his family. I also set certain boundaries like ‘this is when I will work and this is when I won’t’ and then I just have to stick to that. I really prioritise time with the kids and with my friends and then fit everything else around them.

Do you enjoy motherhood – is it something you always wanted to do?
Yes, I always, always wanted it. I can remember thinking about what names I was going to call my children when I was about eight years old.

What’s your secret to looking so fabulous after three kids?
I have to say, when you look at a picture you’re seeing somebody who has been made up and had their hair done and got really nice lighting, but of course day to day, it can be really different. I can look really rough and ropey! A bit of a tan makes you look and feel much better as does staying fit. I eat well generally, I try to eat organic food. I’m pescetarian – I eat fish but not meat, and stay active with cycling and lots of walks. The simplest thing in the world that definitely works is drinking lots of water.

What do you think is the hardest aspect of the industry?
It can be very demanding and challenging in terms of the time and energy you have to put into things. And, you’re constantly being looked at and commented on and judged, I’ve been doing it so long that it doesn’t feel so difficult for me now but it used to. But that’s part and parcel of the industry, you just need to have a thick skin and not let it affect you.

What is your biggest regret?
About eight years ago I went to LA and got offered lots of work out there, the Casting Director of Warner Brothers said that if I went out there he could basically guarantee me work, they were offering things like Veronica’s Closet and lots of other big Warner Brother shows but I was just far too afraid at the time to do it. So I kind of regret that now, I think I should have just given it a go and seen what happened. That was probably a really great opportunity to be given and I didn’t take it up. But I like having a semi-normal life and I was concerned that if I did the whole LA thing then that would be the end of that!

Where do you see yourself in five years?
I’m very much a live for the now kind of person so I don’t ever really think of five years down the line because I know that life changes in one day. I much prefer to go with the flow of life rather than follow a rigid plan. But saying that, I’d love to be living in a big farmhouse or by the sea with lots of animals and my kids, having a very chilled out happy life. I’ll probably still be working though, I said I was going to retire when I was 30 and I’d had my kids but instead I’ve just gotten busier and busier!

 

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