I Beat My Food Addiction & Stage 4 Cancer | BRAND NEW ME
AT 320lbs, Jessica Beniquez from Spring Hill, Florida, started her weight loss journey in 2016. Growing up, Jessica was always overweight and it was not until after graduation she finally put her foot down. Jessica told Truly: “I was just sitting in bed watching Netflix and I would binge watch for a good two months. After that, I was like I am done with this." Jessica was stuck in a dangerous routine of watching four to five hours of TV and eating which was causing her weight to increase. She wanted to feel and look better and decided to make the journey to a brand new self. "I was just lazy. I just didn’t want to do anything or talk to anybody. I was drawn into the show and just didn’t want to get off the couch. As well as binge watching TV, Jessica would fry a lot of her food in oil. "I would cook like deep fried food corn dogs, French fries, chicken strips, chicken nuggets, mozzarella sticks. All of it. I would fry it. It's crazy like thinking back on my old eating habits because now, forget it. So gross."
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I’m Officially The Tallest Kid In The World | BORN DIFFERENT
SUBSCRIBE to Truly: http://bit.ly/Oc61Hj
OFFICIALLY the tallest kid in the world, Jase, is a sweet 10-year-old boy who stands at a staggering 6 ft 3” due to a condition called ‘Gigantism.’ This condition means that Jase’s body releases extensive growth hormones in his pituitary gland, causing him to grow at a much quicker rate than an average 10 year old kid. Jase has grown taller by 5 inches each year and will continue to do so, unless he has a surgery to remove the growth in his head that will prevent him from growing further. Though he is resistant towards having surgery, one of the things Jase loves about his condition is how tall he stands above his peers at school, especially during football games, where every child and parent shake at the thought of him playing. Being six times the size of his friend Truman, the gentle giant is not only growing externally but also internally, as his organs and appetite grow to match his frame. Despite his appearance, Jase is a normal, loving 10-year-old boy who embraces being the ‘tallest kid in the world’.
Videographer: Randal Crow
Producers: Kim Nguyen, Tom Buckman, Courtney Buabeng
Editor: Dalene Low
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From Army Men To Husband & Wife | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
SUBSCRIBE to Love Don't Judge here: https://bit.ly/3z0dq6y
JUSTIN and Chance met in the army during their basic training just over two years ago, they both say they got on well, talked a lot, got closer and started a relationship and nicknamed each other “Battle boos!” When they first met, Justin identified as a straight male and Chance as a gay male, a year into their relationship Chance said she wanted to transition to female. Chance warned Justin about the judgement he would face being with her and gave him an option to end the relationship which he declined - they've now been together for two years and married for one. Chance says she is constantly judged on TikTok and plagued with comments about not only being trans but a trans soldier too. Even though the couple says they are always judged, they continue to educate others on TikTok about their journey hoping that other soldiers will also find the courage to be who they want to be.
Disclaimer: These views do not reflect those of the DOD or U.S. Army.
Socials:
https://www.tiktok.com/@chancejohnson0
https://www.instagram.com/lnonlyme/
Videographer: Erik Nuenighoff
Producers: Yasmin Walker, Georgia Embling
Editor: Garry Sykes
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7 Beautiful Couples Living With Rare Differences | BORN DIFFERENT
LIVING with a rare condition is hard, but so is finding love. These incredible couples found each other because of what makes them truly unique. They have come together and not only face living with some of the most challenging conditions in the world, but also the prejudice that comes with that. Making them some of the most inspiring couples out there.
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Removing 10lbs Of Skin For The Body I Deserve | BRAND NEW ME
A WOMAN declared morbidly obese has lost 250lbs and had 10lbs of excess skin removed. Corey Hyland says she can only ever remember being overweight. By the time she was a teenager Corey had been declared morbidly obese by doctors and she stopped looking at the weighing scales. As a result, Corey doesn’t know her heaviest weight, other than it was in the 400lb range. A decade ago, without ever imagining she would be able to transform her body, Corey decided to make changes to her diet to try and lose some weight. Despite dropping some pounds, Corey had setbacks along the way and says the big change only happened a few years ago when she started working out with a personal trainer. And in the last year, she lost the biggest amount of weight: an incredible 100lbs. But with that dramatic weight loss came a large amount of excess skin that left Corey feeling underwhelmed with what her body now looked like. Having excess skin removal surgery was the final reward.
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267lbs & Addicted To Takeout - Until Now | BRAND NEW ME
A WOMAN from Pennsylvania has transformed her body after losing over 100lbs through healthy eating and exercise. Rachelle Diaz confesses that she would often eat fast food such as McDonald’s and Chinese takeout every day. However once she hit her heaviest weight of 267lbs, she decided to challenge herself to get in shape and has since lost over 100lbs. Despite being a confident person both before and after her weight loss journey, Rachelle has “fallen in love” with the new version of herself and loves to flaunt her results.
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Our Mother-Daughter Relationship Isn't 'Unhealthy' | MY EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY
CATHERINE and Gabriella describe themselves as the ‘ultimate mother-daughter duo.’ Together the pair travel, shop, model and dress in matching outfits - all the time. Catherine has two other daughters - Lauren and Sophia who the pair refer to as ‘the sisters’. They think their mom and sister’s relationship is ‘weird’. Lauren said: “Everything they do together is a little extra.” Sophia added: “Everything they do is very cringe.” Catherine and Gabriella started creating videos on social media together. Gabriella said: “People love it but they also love to hate it.” Comments have ranged from positive to judgemental and have accused Catherine of having plastic surgery to look like her daughter and living life through her. Gabriella said: “If someone says online that our relationship is unhealthy like who are you? Why would we care?” While Lauren and Sophia said they agree with some of the comments about their mom and sister being over the top, they vehemently disagree with the idea that they’re neglected as daughters. Sophia said: “We definitely get a lot of attention.” Lauren added: “We don’t need any more attention, we’re good.”
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My Giant Facial Tumour Won’t Stop Me Dancing | BORN DIFFERENT
TIKTOK dance sensation Aleazia is a local celebrity in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky - but his journey to this point has been challenging from day one. He was born with a super rare condition called cystic hygroma, which caused large fluid-filled cysts to form on his face. Doctors performed "life-saving surgery" on Aleazia as a newborn baby, as the cysts were blocking his airway, preventing him from breathing. Since then, he has lived with a trach, which acts as "another airway for safety reasons" - something that has proven crucial to Aleazia, as he suffers from regular swelling of his neck and face. The swelling occurs "every two months" on average and causes Aleazia such "agony" that he has to stay in hospital for pain treatment. Growing up, Aleazia's condition meant he faced severe bullying - with other children in the neighbourhood calling him "Mr Potato Head" and "Quagmire." His parents were his rocks through it all and gave him the confidence to ignore the name-calling, but when they passed away in 2019 and 2020 respectively, Aleazia remembers feeling "alone." Despite everything he has been through, as well as continued abuse online, Aleazia has been supported by friends and family and found escapism in his love of dance. For the past 11 years, he has been performing to passers-by on the Big Four Bridge in Louisville and made a name for himself locally and on TikTok. But Aleazia does not do it for the fame and fortune - as he told truly: "When I'm dancing I forget all my troubles - I can be myself, I feel free."
Follow Aleazia:
https://www.tiktok.com/@aleazia_world
https://www.instagram.com/the_real_aleazia
Videographer: Nate Spicer
Producers: Kim Nguyen, Tom Buckman, Courtney Buabeng
Editor: Alex Saunders
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I Covered My Tatts & Mom Called Me Beautiful | TRANSFORMED
MUM of two Amiee is an alternative tattoo model with extensive inking all over her body, including her face and heavily blacked out forearms. As well as being heavily tattooed, Amiee, now 23, also has over 12 piercings in her face alone. Amiee had her first tattoo when she was 13 and really started to get into tattoos aged 18, after she started working in a tattoo shop. A year later she had her first facial tattoo and has about 10 of them now. Amiee mostly has tattoos on her upper body and has over 50 - so far. Eventually she plans to be covered in tattoos from head to toe. Although friends and family have mostly been supportive of Amiee’s tattooed look, her parents took the longest to get used to it. What will they think seeing their daughter once again without any tattoos?
Follow Amiee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amiee_inked/
Follow Gemma (MUA) on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gemmahornermua/
Videographer: Jonathan Constantinou
Producers: Stephanie Stijkel, Natalia Giorgi
Editor: Hailey Wang
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380lbs & Addicted To Food - Look At Me Now | BRAND NEW ME
AFTER experiencing two traumatic events on the same day, Chris decided to turn his life around and lose an incredible 180lbs. In 2016, Chris, 29, from California, weighed 380lbs. The motivation for change came from a moment of personal hardship: a friend's suicide and his mum being sent to jail. Chris told Truly: “I found out about both things on the same day and I was really depressed and felt like a prisoner in my own body.”
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Couldn’t Fit Through The Door - Now I’m A Bodybuilder | BRAND NEW ME
KRISTA FRANCIS lost 248lbs after becoming too overweight to fit through the door whilst carrying her son. Krista has struggled with her weight since she was a teenager, weighing 386lbs at her heaviest. The breaking point for Krista came when she was unable to carry her son, Ezra, who was born with cerebral palsy, through the bathroom door having to call her husband for help.
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My Daughter Is 8 Years Younger Than Me | MY EXTRAORDINARY FAMILY
24-YEAR-OLD Tasia Taylor is the mother of two teenagers. Tasia and her husband Drew, 26, decided to open their home to foster children and Rory, 14 was placed with them. Tasia said: “We just thought with our age, we didn't know that they would even let us take a teenager.” They then adopted Rory, her brother Isaiah, 12 and Tamiray, 16 who is Tasia’s cousin, then Tasia gave birth to Ashtyn Rose two months ago. Within two years, they went from zero to four children. The couple are both teachers and feel this has helped equip them in becoming adoptive parents but they have still been subjected to judgement. Tasia said: “People say we're too young to have adopted teenagers.” But the couple explained that they are very mature for their age and are doing their best. Their families were ‘terrified’ at the prospect of them adopting at first but became so supportive. The family are entertained by the fact that people think they are all siblings or a friendship group rather than parents and children. The couple would like to have more children and foster again too. Drew said: “We're always going to be the family for them.”
With thanks to Canton Adams - Captures By Canton Photography for their photography work featured in this episode.
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My Butterfly Skin Rips With The Softest Touch | BORN DIFFERENT
TALENTED 20-year-old makeup artist, Claudia, was born with a rare skin condition called epidermolysis bullosa - also known as EB. The condition causes a lack of collagen, which in turn means her skin is extremely fragile and blisters into wounds that can cover "up to 80% of [her] body." Nurses come in daily to painstakingly remove all Claudia's bandages, clean her wounds and then re-dress them again - a process that can take up to four hours. As well as regular pain medications, these maintenance measures allow Claudia to go about the rest of her day - but EB is progressive and there is no cure, so her condition has deteriorated over time. Her fingers and toes have gradually "fused together" over the years and she has been left with only four fingers remaining on one hand. Claudia's parents, Elizabeth and Gary, provided all of her care growing up and had to develop best practices to protect her skin "on instinct." They have witnessed the gradual progression of her condition and felt helpless at times - but more so due to the social isolation their daughter experienced as a teenager: "We watched her, for six years, suffer the loneliness. You can't fix that as a parent, you can't make friends for your child." But Claudia found an outlet for herself during her tough high school years when she was inspired by watching makeup artists online. At the age of 13, she picked up a makeup brush for the first time and has never looked back - in the years since, she has developed into a "pure artist" and has recorded makeup content from her dressing table at home, which she posts to her rapidly growing fanbase on social media. This, as well as several media appearances in support of Debra Ireland - a charity funding research into potential treatments and cures for EB - has thrust Claudia into the spotlight and she has exciting options open to her as she embarks on the next stage of her career. Her parents couldn't be prouder: "You'd have to live with Claudia to be aware of the challenges that have been put in her way and she has overcome every single one of them... She is still here, still fighting physically and mentally." And Claudia's resilience is stronger than ever as she looks ahead to the future: "My achievements have definitely boosted my self-confidence - realising that you can do great things, no matter what the circumstances are. You have this disability, but you have defied the odds in many ways."
Follow Claudia:
https://www.instagram.com/claudia.elizabeth.scanlon
https://www.tiktok.com/@claudiascanlon
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115lbs Down After My Crush Called Me Fat | BRAND NEW ME
27-YEAR-OLD Anthony Bayer from Queensland, Australia has lost a spectacular 115lbs after being rushed to the hospital. Anthony says his weight issues started in high school, using food as a coping mechanism and consuming over 1,000 calories a day. “Every time I was stressed out I would eat. I would consume three pizzas, three bottles of coke and three packs of Magnum ice cream in one sitting,” he told Truly. Weighing in at 330lbs at his heaviest, Anthony would spend his days at home playing video games. He said: “I had absolutely no confidence, I thought I was going to be alone for the rest of my life." And his fears of ending up alone really intensified when he was stood up for his high school prom. “I asked the most attractive girl in school to be my date and she said yes. I knocked on her door on the day of the formal and she started laughing, at that moment I realised I was set up.” A few months later, Anthony woke up in the middle of the night suffering from heart palpitations. Rushed to the hospital, the doctor explained to him that his irregular heartbeat was down to the pressure put on his body by the excess weight. On the verge of type 2 diabetes, Anthony was urged to make a drastic change to his diet. Researching healthy diets, going for walks and eventually joining a gym, Anthony managed to lose 115lbs in total. He added: “My transformation changed me mentally, now I’m confident, willing to go out there and live my life to the fullest."
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Cottagecore Fairy Embraces Her Dark Side | TRANSFORMED
THIS music fairy describes her aesthetic as ‘cottagecore’, ‘fairycore’ and ‘goblincore’. Zelda, aka Freckled Zelda said: “I’ve always been interested in fairies because they always make me happy.” She loves bright colours and has never tried ‘emo’ or ‘gothic looks. She said: “In a way I feel like I can pull off anything but I’ve never tried anything like this before.” A key part of her cottagecore fairy look is the accessories she adds - including ears and hair spirals she makes herself. Today, Zelda will be transformed into a gothic-inspired look complete with black leather, lace, chunky boots and a wig. She said: “Fingers crossed I look hot.”
Follow Freckled Zelda here:
https://www.instagram.com/thefreckledzelda
https://www.tiktok.com/@thefreckledzelda
YT: @FreckledZelda
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Pro Car Racer To Millionaire Glamour Model | HOOKED ON THE LOOK
RENEE Gracie, from Queensland, Australia, is living the high life after swapping a career as a professional racing driver to become a full-time glamour model. Renee began go-karting aged 13 and quickly got into competitive racing, graduating to the V8 Supercar circuit. But by the time she left racing, she was struggling to survive. Determined to make some money, Renee signed up to OnlyFans and made $24,000 in her first month - but since July 2021 she has been clearing over $100,000 a month. In this episode of Hooked on the Look, we meet up with Renee as she goes to collect her newest purchase - a $170,000 Dodge Ram 1500 Limited SUV, freshly imported from the USA, which she’s paying to have custom-wrapped in neon yellow by the team at Gangsta Wraps. We also see her go on a blind date with Caique. The male entertainer says his daily life is 'good' because he is around girls all the time... But his love life is a different story. Will they be able to accept each other's chosen career?
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Off-Grid To City Banker - Who Even Is This?! | TRANSFORMED
UNARIK, 34, from Tenerife, describes his look and lifestyle as free, authentic, without labels and nonconformist. After spending a large portion of his early years being told how to act, dress and live, an 18-year-old Unarik decided that he had enough of the shackles of society and began to live his truth. Unarik told Transformed: "Mostly we are told how we need to be, so that we are loved, so that we are accepted. I don't care what you think about me, I don't care what you say about me anymore, I just want to live my freedom." Since leaving Germany and moving to Tenerife, Unarik has found a freedom that he has been looking for since a child and now lives completely free and away from traditional society. Today, with the help of makeup artist Denisa, Unarik will be stepping back into the corporate world once again as he is going to be Transformed from his 'Nonconformist' look to an 'Investment Banker' style. Unarik will be revealing this new and rather shocking look to his best friend Nelhe, who shares his free views on life, but how will she react? Will Nehle hate what she sees? Or will she surprise herself by actually liking Unarik's new look?
Follow Unarik:
https://www.instagram.com/intu.empa.art/
Follow Makeup Artist Denisa:
https://www.instagram.com/denisa_makeup_tenerife/
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He’s Not ‘Gay’ Because I’m Trans | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
WHEN Eden came across Christian on TikTok, she couldn't resist sliding into his DMs and from there, things moved pretty fast. Eden told Love Don't Judge: "Within a week he was in my house and within a day he got my name tattooed on him. About a month after that we got engaged." While the pair are blissfully in love, their relationship has encountered a fair amount of criticism. Christian admitted: "People judge us because my fiancée is trans and I'm straight." And online, the hate is particularly bad. Eden explained: "The biggest misconception people have is that he's gay and I'm a man." Christian's, son, Ashton, also lives with the couple and the trolling continues when it comes to their family dynamic. Christian admitted: "Those comments calling me a bad father are the ones that hurt the most." In this episode of Love Don't Judge, the pair will be calling Christian's dad, Cameron, for an honest conversation. Upon Christian asking his dad if they ever told him that Eden was trans, Cameron revealed, "No!"...
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Marrying A Trans Barbie Doesn't Make Me 'Gay' | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
AYLA and David met on Instagram and sparks flew when they decided to meet in person. David admitted to Love Don't Judge: "I was attracted to her the second I saw her and I knew that she was attracted to me, too." When they initially started chatting, Ayla revealed to David that she was trans. "I was incredibly nervous. I expected to get some aggressive messages," she explained. But an unfazed David said: "It was never anything to me. I've only ever seen Ayla as a woman and that was it." At times, family has struggled to accept the relationship which has been tough for Ayla. Opening up, she said: "It was really hard for me. Nothing positive from family." Ayla's transition started when she was 24 and since then she's had multiple cosmetic surgeries and procedures. Ayla said: "I've always been drawn to the plastic look. I need to have this surgery done." In this episode of Love Don't Judge, the couple will give us an insight into the judgement they often cop and Ayla's future surgery plans. Summarising on their relationship, David said: "Nothing's forced, nothing's tried. I can be completely myself."
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Dropped 90lbs - Now I Empower Other Women | BRAND NEW ME
A WOMAN who has maintained her 90lb weight loss for 15 years is now empowering thousands of women on their own wellness journey. Tameika, 34, weighed 230lbs at her heaviest and wasn’t able to go on theme park rides or fit into airplane seats. She is now a certified personal trainer and wellness coach. Tameika told Truly: “I quit my corporate job to empower women on their journey, helping them take control of their health.”
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I Was After His Money But We Fell In Love | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
NOVA is an adult entertainer and lives in Melbourne, Australia with her partner of five years, James. The pair met through a sugar daddy website and despite the age gap they fell in love. The biggest thing he has gifted her was her apartment as well as a new engine for her car and the usual things like jewellery and clothes. He invested almost $400,000 into Nova’s business to help her buy an apartment so that she had space to livestream and film content. In the beginning, their relationship was purely an arrangement. Eventually they fell in love. They then established they were in a relationship once Nova graduated. Nova’s family had concerns whether they were both in the relationship for the right reasons, considering the circumstances in which they met. They get the most judgement in public, people stare, gossip behind their hands and wonder whether she is his daughter or an escort when they go check into hotels. They are not bothered by it and like to have fun and play up to people’s assumptions. In this episode of Love Don't Judge, the pair chat with their friend Mia about what she thinks of their unconventional relationship.
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I'm 24 & Moved In With My 60-Year-Old BF After 3 Hours | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
WE first met Willow, 24, on Love Don't Judge back in 2022, but since then, the model has split from her past partner and has a new man, Rob, 60. The couple knew each other for years, but only recently got together when Willow found herself in LA and decided to hit up Rob. He explained: "I was actually half asleep. I was laying down, I was exhausted. I heard her voice saying she was in LA and probably had the fastest shower and hair blowout I've ever done in 60 years." Things moved fast and within just 30 days of dating, Willow's mum, Deborah, married the couple. Reflecting, Willow gushed: "Our wedding day was incredibly casual, it was just focusing on pretty much how we love each other and that's it." But despite their happiness, they're often judged for their 35-year age gap. Willow said: "They call me the black widow because this is like my second or third age gap relationship. I don't know why they're calling me that?" Today, we'll hear how the couple's relationship developed after all these years and why they are madly in love. Summarising, Rob said: "Has she changed my life? She's completed it. I'm done."
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I'm Chinese, He's Black - And Racists Call Us 'Shameful' | LOVE DON'T JUDGE
T'MARH, 29, and Kathryn, 25, live together in Shanghai. He is British and she is Chinese, they have been together for seven months and have blended their lives, residing in an apartment in the city with their dog. The pair first met after briefly seeing each other at a party, then shortly after matched on Tinder and clicked. However, not all has been plain sailing for the couple, with some people in the outside world condemning their interracial relationship. When they are out in public together they often get stares, as local people can be shocked at their mixed-race relationship, especially because T'Marh is black. He explained: "You'll notice as we're walking past, people's faces will follow you as you go." But since staying longer in the city he has come to accept that these looks don't always come from a place of malice, "I've been living in Shanghai for the past five years," he said. "When I first came that would have bothered me, but I know that people will stare at something they haven't seen for a long time, it's just how it is. People will take out their phones to record, it's just how it is. It can be a bit awkward at first but it's just something that I've phased out." The couple both have their respective Instagram accounts where they have been praised for their distinctive styles but, since starting their relationship, they created a joint account and have begun to experience racist and sexualised comments aimed at both of them, Kat said: "Someone called him a gorilla, it's so bad." T'Marh added: "Someone said, 'How much can you buy him for?' People say, if you are with a white person maybe you'll stay together, if it's a black person, he's gonna go somewhere." But the couple have many supporters online too: "There are people who think our relationship looks great, we have an authentic connection and they think we look great together," T'Marh said. Kat agreed: "A lot of people think that we are a lovely couple with a special vibe that other couples don't have." She added: "The most important part is not which country he comes from, or what race he is. The most important part is who he is and the feeling from this relationship that he gives me, and that's why I [am] with him."
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My Tatts Are Gone - Now My Daughter Won't Hug Me | TRANSFORMED
CHRIS Dalzell, 36, from Belfast, became fully covered in tattoos around seven years ago as a coping mechanism for when his daughter Jessica got really ill and was in and out of hospital. Chris is so used to being fully tatted that he "forgets that they’re there" until he sees himself in a reflective surface. "My daughter has never seen me in the flesh without tattoos, so it will be a big change for her", he tells Truly as he gets ready to be covered up. As he starts getting covered by the MUA, Chris says that he can't anticipate how he will feel. How will he react to having no tattoos at all after seven years? And how will his daughter, who has never seen him without them, react to her dad's new look?
Follow Chris here:
https://www.instagram.com/dalzellc/
https://www.facebook.com/chris.dalzell.501
https://www.facebook.com/NITattMan
https://www.tiktok.com/@nitattman?_t=8Ujz6Lgqi3y&_r=1
Follow MUA Paddy McGurgan here:
https://www.facebook.com/paddymcgurgan
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