As one of the dancing show’s larger ladies Lisa is fully aware that the eyes of the nation are poring over her chubby calves, bingo wings and virtually non-existent waistline.
It’s not easy to look beyond her size. But put the weight issue to one side and she is, in fact, light on her feet and a competent dancer.
Unfortunately, human beings judge others on image. Beauty has long been associated with value and fertility.
Helen of Troy was not the first and will certainly not be the last woman to be feted for her appearance.
But Lisa was right when she added that this pressure to be "glossy and perfect" has got worse in recent years.
We’ve now got teenage girls who think that they need to have nail extensions, spray tans, hair extensions, Hollywood eyelashes and a thick layer of make-up in order to emulate their celebrity idols.
They’re all trying to be Tulisa.
Last week, Huddersfield’s Charity Dreamgirl Kate Hardcastle launched a national campaign called Positive Image, which aims to provide real role models and mentors for young people. These will be people from all walks of life who have succeeded in various fields – without trading on their looks.
Kate is fighting against both human nature and the relentless pressure exerted by the media, fashion and beauty industries. She wants children to understand that they shouldn’t bully others because of the way they look – she was bullied herself as a child – and that their self esteem shouldn’t depend on looking like an air-brushed image from a magazine.
It will not be an easy task at all but it is a battle worth fighting.
