Interview: The model who refused to hide - Natalie Amber on turning pain into power

Few people embrace vulnerability and transformation as boldly as Natalie Amber. As both a health advocate and adversity speaker, she turns her most challenging moments into powerful lessons for others.

Diagnosed with chronic illness and navigating life with a visible scar, Natalie chose to break silence over shame—and now her voice inspires people across health, media, and fashion.

Film News Blitz presents this exclusive interview with The Female Motivational Speakers Agency, where Natalie digs into her journey through misdiagnosis and misrepresentation, reveals how she’s reshaping the norms of beauty and visibility, and discusses why authenticity and consistency in storytelling truly matter.

Q: What motivated you to begin sharing your health story on social media, and how has that shaped your public persona?

Natalie Amber: “It’s the fact that there was nobody for me when everything happened to me with my misdiagnosis. I didn’t have anybody to relate to or to look up to, so I kind of became that person.

“I don’t ever see, you know, at the time back in 2018, was when I started to—well, it was a really dark place for me then—and then I tried to come out of that with my acceptance of my scar and the fact that I had a stoma at the time.

“When I did go to post on social media at that point, I was in a really bad relationship. Horrible guy. Thank you, next. But he was literally like, ‘Nothing worse than having a bag.

‘If you move on, don’t on anyone.’ These are his exact words. And then when I did post a picture of my scar, he’s like, ‘Oh, it’s so attention seeking.’ So, I took it straight down.

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“For ages, it took me so long to get to that place. I’d wear jogging bottoms up to here because my scar would start here and it goes down, because I thought if I wore jogging bottoms here and a crop top, there’s a small gap so you can see a bit of skin, so no one would know I had a scar.

“It was like this weird way of thinking. So, because I went through all of that, I vowed that I didn’t want any other person or woman to ever feel that way. That’s what motivates me now—to do that for anyone that’s lonely, going through this diagnosis, or scared.

“I get lots of messages from women with scars or stoma bags saying, ‘You’ve helped me so much,’ especially with the toilet aspect. Now I’ve had my stoma reversed, I’m not always getting to the toilet, but I’m very open about that.

“That’s not something that—if you’d asked me that back then—would’ve been possible. I would never talk about pooing myself on a big platform for everyone to see. But now I’ve just had to embrace who I am, and it’s helped so many people. That’s what motivates me.”

Q: How has the modelling and media industry evolved since you started, especially in terms of representation and inclusion?

Natalie Amber: “Yes, it’s changed a lot. I was modelling since I was four years old, so really little. But this was before we knew I had Crohn’s disease. I’d always had problems as a baby—I was being sick all the time—and we tried all these different diets and cutting things out. My eczema was also really bad, which now we think could have probably been Crohn’s.

“My first ever job was for the Steam Museum because I live in Swindon. My mum’s a graphic designer, so she did the campaign. That was my first ever modelling job, and then I got into modelling. But as a mixed-race little girl, there wasn’t really anybody else that looked like me.

“There wasn’t anybody when we went to auditions—it was all quite a lot of Sylvia Young at the time that would go to these auditions—but I had a unique look because there weren’t many other little girls that looked like me.

“Especially in the industry today, you could say people like Kate Moss or Naomi Campbell were the icons of the ‘90s or the 2000s, whereas there wasn’t anyone that looked like me. Representation just wasn’t there. Then when everything happened to me with my scar, I genuinely thought that was it—I’d never get booked again. There’s no representation at all.

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“Even in the dance world, I was trained to think that how you look is how you get booked. You could have someone next to you who’s the most technical dancer, but because I looked better than them, I’d get the job—which is terrible. So, when this happened, I thought, “I’m not going to get booked in the modelling industry because there’s no one that looks like me.”

“During lockdown, things got a little better. We had the body acceptance journey, body positivity came about, and suddenly my work went quite well. I did a massive campaign for PLT in Italy, but again, I was the only model they’d used with a scar.

“I later found out I got lesser pay, which wasn’t great. Whether it was due to the agency not pushing for me or something else, it upset me because I felt like the token model.

“Even now, when you think of scarred models, I can’t name one. There’s no one out there. That’s why I’ve tried to become that person. It’s sad—it’s changed a lot—but now, with the resurgence of the “skinny” phase, disabled or curve models are being pushed aside again. Fashion shouldn’t treat bodies like trends. Everyone deserves to feel seen.”

Q: What does genuine representation mean to you—in fashion, media, toys, and culture?

Natalie Amber: “I was 18 when I went to New York with my mum for my birthday. They had a ‘make your own Barbie’ section in a big toy shop, and I was so excited because I never had a Barbie that looked like me growing up.

“When we got there, my cousin came with us—she’s white but with tighter hair than mine—and we were both excited because, yes, she had white Barbie dolls, but none with hair like ours. I just thought I could make one that looked like me, but there were only two shades: white or black, with straight hair for all of them. I’ve never forgotten that moment because I was really disappointed.

“Ever since, I’ve been trying to find a way with Barbie to say they need to make one that reflects scars or differences. They’ve got better, but especially with scars or disabilities, there’s still a long way to go. Representation isn’t just about modelling—it’s about toys, media, and everything we grow up seeing.”

Q: In your view, how can brands move beyond tokenism and authentically challenge stigma around body image and disability?

Natalie Amber: “I think they shouldn’t be afraid of just using us. They’re scared of being accused of tokenism or being told, ‘Oh, they’ve only used you once.’ And yes, that’s true—PrettyLittleThing have never again used a model with a scar or any disability since that campaign. That, to me, is tokenism.

“If a brand does it consistently and doesn’t make a big deal about it, that’s authentic. People will always have something to say—you can’t please everyone. I model for Leanne Pinnock’s swimwear brand, and they’ve used me consistently for all kinds of campaigns. That’s real representation—it’s consistent, not performative.

“ASOS has started to get better, showing models with diabetes patches or hearing aids, which is amazing, but we’re still not seeing sit-down fashion or visible scars. Brands need to stop being scared of backlash. If you include everyone naturally and respectfully, people will believe in you.”

This exclusive interview with Natalie Amber was conducted by Megan Lupton of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

Amber has appeared in TV documentaries championing inclusivity, including Strictly Amy for the BBC and Amazon Prime’s Dare to Defy.

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