Viral Podcast Clip Ignites Fiery Debate Over Women's Beachwear and Male Gaze
A recent podcast clip has surged to viral status after former 'The Only Way is Essex' stars Jess and Carol Wright openly criticized women who choose to wear thong bikinis at the beach. In an episode of their podcast 'Wright At Home', which they host alongside Carol's youngest daughter Natalya, the reality television personalities expressed strong disapproval of this beachwear choice. They stated they 'don't understand how it's acceptable to walk around a beach in a thong — leave something to the imagination'. Carol further emphasized her stance by adding, 'This is not sexy for men to look at', while Jess fueled the controversy by revealing that her partner Will 'cannot stand it'. The clip, which has since been deleted, quickly captured the attention of women across TikTok, becoming a viral sound overnight and triggering intense debates in comment sections.
TikTok Users Respond with Defiance and Humor
In classic TikTok fashion, the backlash was swift and unapologetic. Dozens of users decided to respond to the Wright family's hot take by sharing videos of themselves living their best lives, confidently shaking their assets on the beach with their butt cheeks unburdened by material. Many creators captioned their posts with variations of, 'This one's for Jess, Will, and especially her mum Carol', making it explicitly clear who the videos were targeting. A number of commenters expressed disbelief that this topic was even up for discussion. One user wrote, 'This audio!! I can't believe it! They are at the beach, what does it matter what bottoms women have on? Good grief!' Another added, 'People can wear what they want, if you get uncomfortable literally don't look...' Additionally, as one girl expertly pointed out, 'God forbid a girl wants her cheeks to be tanned'. However, a few voices agreed with the clip, with one person stating, 'I can't stand it, especially if it's a family beach – a family beach is where I draw the line. We've normalised way too much.'
Expert Analysis on Feminism and Body Policing
Dr. Carolina Are, a digital criminologist at the London School of Economics, pole dance performer, and owner of her fair share of itty bitty bikinis, shared her insights with Metro. According to the academic, this short clip has gained traction due to the broader rollback of feminism observed online in 2026. She explains, 'We've seen viral content such as the Diary of a CEO clip about not enough women having children generate countless reactions, positive and negative. This says a lot about how platforms shape overall discourse, especially at a risky time for women's rights and freedoms, given the overturning of Roe v Wade in the US, and the mainstreamisation of manosphere content about body counts, 'high value women' and trad wives. This content seems to be within that trend, and far from being just about fashion or personal taste, it risks pitting women against each other or reinforcing norms about what kind of woman is attractive or even just... good and worthy of safety, love etc.' For Dr. Carolina, anyone dictating what a woman should wear is 'policing women's bodies' – regardless of the commentator's gender. She argues, 'But in this case in particular, the hosts' assumption that 'men don't find it sexy' is first of all an unfounded generalisation, and second of all it assumes that women wear thongs to please men or to gain men's attention. Personally, I wear thongs because I like them and I like having tan lines. Whether a man sees that or not doesn't influence my choice. And after all, how about Queer women who wear it among each other? Assuming a man always has to be in the back of women's minds when dressing up is heteronormative, inaccurate and disempowering.'
Psychological Perspectives on Public Judgement
Metro also spoke with Dr. Helena Lewis-Smith, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of the West of England, who builds on this argument. She states, 'Phrases like "leave something to the imagination" frame women's bodies through a sexual lens and suggest there's a "right" way for women to present themselves. When opinions about what women should wear are shared publicly, it reinforces the idea that women's bodies are open to judgement.' Whether or not the Wright women anticipated the impact of their conversation remains unclear. However, as Dr. Carolina emphasizes, choice is the most empowering thing women can grant one another. She continues, 'I wore thongs on the beach before I was a pole dancer, but as a sexual assault and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) survivor, I have found pole dancing (an art and a sport created by strippers) revolutionary in normalising bodies. I think if we were all more exposed to bodies and nudity we'd have way less issues as a society: we would talk about health, consent, and sex more openly, instead of judging people on the basis of clothing.'
