Real Bodies: ‘I would never just walk around the house naked’

Jordan Mitchell, 28, Leeds, Salon Manager

I’m doing this because I thought it would be kind of a confidence boost I guess. When you put everything out there on the table, you don’t have to hide anything do you? It’s a bit scary, but I think you’ve just got to go with it. I think people should get rid of their inhibitions and just show that you don’t have to be afraid of your own body. I do a bit of exercise. I go running every now and then and I occasionally g oto the gym as well, doing cross trainer stuff, and on the bike.

Height: 5’4

Weight: 11 stone 8 pounds

Diet: I’m not a vegetarian but I am kind of a part time vegetarian. If I have time I will make a proper meal but if not quinoa takes half the time and it’s just less fattening. You have to go out of your way to make a good vegetarian diet though.

Guilty Pleasures: I have the odd Ben and Jerry’s now and then. A whole tub to myself. I’ll pretend I’m not going to eat it all, put it to one side and then realise it’s melting so I have to eat it. (A 500ml tub contains 230 calories)

Ideal Man: Zachary Quinto I like Zachary Quinto because he’s got that bit of hair and stuff, and I find that quite attractive. I like the geek look as well.

Manscaping: I do a bit of trimming down there, but just barely. It’s normally my beard and that’s it. It does grow fairly tidy, so all I have to do is shape it up a bit, but everything else I just kind of leave because it’s just effort and if you’re only doing it for other people – I’d rather not. You start trapping yourself.

Top Body Product: I use a lot of the Lush stuff. There’s one called Aquamarina that makes your skin feel amazing.

Clothes: I used to wear a lot of oversized shirts and stuff and then I realised they’ve stopped being oversized! So I’m cutting back a bit, but I generally always wear shirts. I mean yeah when Im around and stuff I usually wear things that would make me look in proportion I guess.

Have you always felt confident in your body?

No, there was a time that I wasn’t happy with it. But I’ve made peace with it now. I mean my ribs used to protrude out a little bit. They still do, but not as bad as what they used to. You become more confident as you get older I think, because you’re not trying to impress anyone else. You have to start with yourself.

Do you think the gay community puts a lot of pressure on itself to look good?

Yeah I would say it definitely does. I mean you go to a club and you never see an overweight go-go dancer or anything, so that’s kind of forced on you in a way, because you can’t stop looking at this person.

How do you feel about apps like Grindr, do you find it difficult?

It is, yeah. I think it’s good in some respects because you get to talk to people without showing some things if you’re not comfortable in some respect. You can be whoever you want on there. But that’s also the bad thing because if you do meet someone then you’ve put yourself in that situation where you can’t hide anything.

That’s a big thing on Instagram now, where people just present a filtered version of themselves. 

Yeah, if you put a filter on Grindr to only show face profiles about half of the profiles would disappear instantly so there’s a lot of that as well!

Do you take selfies?

I do – but I don’t do it because I love myself. It’s sort of mature to like yourself so I think it generally helps with things like that.

Are you comfortable being naked?

I would say it depends on what mind set I’ve got at the time. Some days I feel like a turd and some days no! I would never just walk around the house bollock naked because that’s a bit much.

Would you be put off by a partner who had a better body than you?

I must admit if I’m with someone who’s got a better body than me, I do find it a bit intimidating but then I just think, if someone’s willing to take their clothes off in front of you they must not think too badly of you I guess. Again, when I was younger, I would have felt bad but I don’t care now, I’m a bit more blasé about it. If they don’t like it they’re obviously not partner material then.

You can read more from Real Bodies in the new issue of Attitude, available to download and in shops now.

Also in Attitude’s June Issue, alongside all your usual news, reviews, fitness & travel:

• Queers & the cuts: In a special feature marking a year of Conservative majority rule, we look at the toll austerity is taking on the LGBT community.
• Titan of musical theatre Bernadette Peters looks back over a glittering career as she prepares to return to the UK – and tells us why she has no time for diva behaviour.
• The Fifth Harmony girls talk boys, gay pride and X Factor as they continue to take over the airwaves with the fruits of new album 7/27.
• Ariana Grande discusses her hotly anticipated new album Dangerous Woman, spilling the T on LGBT rights, Grindr and her famed SNL sketch.
• We meets the stars of Holding the Man, the most powerful gay romantic drama since Brokeback Mountain.
• Mathew Horne spills the T on playing gay in Sky’s detective series Agatha Raisin.
• MTV’s Maya Jama sees whether she can pass for a homo in How Gay Are You?

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