The Life of Jameela Jamil

British radio presenter and activist

She’s a body-positive activist and a budding actress. This is Jameela Jamil. She was born in 1986 in London, to an Indian father and a Pakistani mother. She was born partially deaf and underwent several surgeries during her childhood. As a teenager, she had anorexia for several years. At 17, she was hit by a car. Her spinal column was injured, requiring her to spend a year in the hospital. She cites the car accident as what pushed her towards recovery, stating that "it changed my relationship with my body" and "figuratively knocked some sense into me"

For several years, she taught English to international students. At 22, she became a host on Britain’s Channel 4. 5 years later, she won the Glamour Award for Radio Personality of the Year. At 27, she attempted suicide — but did not reveal this until 2019. In 2014, the British tabloids attacked her for her appearance because she had gained weight due to the steroid treatment, she was required to take to treat her asthma. In 2016, at the age of 29 and following a breast cancer scare, Jamil left London and moved to Los Angeles, with no plans of acting, instead intending to DJ and work presenting radio shows.

Though she considered becoming a screenwriter, she was also cast to play Tahani Al-Jamil on “The Good Place.” The success of show quickly made her a star. At 32, she launched the “I Weigh” movement on Instagram to encourage women to define themselves by something other than their weight. In August 2018, she spoke out against magazines that airbrushed her skin to make it a lighter color. At 33, she launched a petition to ban ads for weight-loss products on Instagram. A few months later, Jamil won her fight. The social media announced that this type of ad would no longer be visible to underage users.

Brut.