Former The Only Way Is Essex star Bobby Norris has opened up about the harsh judgement he faced after undergoing a dramatic facelift at the age of 39 — sharing a raw video of himself swollen, bruised and wrapped in compression bandages during recovery in Turkey.
The reality star underwent a neck lift, facelift and lower blepharoplasty back in March after admitting years of “abusing fillers” had left his skin stretched “like a deflated balloon”. But while recovering from the procedures, Bobby says he was stunned by the reaction he received from strangers when he stepped outside for fresh air.
In the emotional Instagram clip, Bobby appeared wearing a full facial compression garment while eating lunch outdoors, explaining that he had only been outside for “six or seven minutes” when he felt instantly judged by a woman nearby.
He said: “Ain’t it funny how some people are just so judgy in life? We all have opinions… and I always own up and fess up to my surge.”
Bobby then recalled being stared at by what he described as “a lady of the night”, admitting he found the encounter ironic given how society often judges her profession too.
With his trademark humour still intact despite the painful recovery, he joked: “She looked at me like I farted in her Gucci handbag!”
The TV personality insisted he has no shame about going public with his surgery and said he refuses to pretend his appearance came from skincare routines or wellness trends.
“I’m not one of these people who says ‘I just drink two litres of water a day and had a honey and oatmeal scrub’. I own my mud,” he declared.
The video quickly divided fans online. While many praised Bobby for being brutally honest about cosmetic surgery, others defended the woman involved and suggested she may simply have been shocked by his heavily swollen appearance.
Last month, Bobby shocked viewers during an appearance on This Morning when he unveiled his dramatically different look and spoke candidly about the toll filler addiction and online trolling had taken on his confidence.
Explaining why he chose surgery before turning 40, Bobby revealed a frightening health scare also changed his outlook on life.
He said doctors warned him during medical tests: “You could be dead in twelve hours.”
The terrifying moment forced him to rethink constantly delaying things he wanted to change about himself.
“At my age you don’t expect to hear that,” he admitted. “Tomorrow ain’t guaranteed.”
Bobby also confessed lockdown forced him to confront how drastically his appearance had changed after watching old episodes of The Only Way Is Essex on television.
He explained that years of excessive filler use had slowly altered his face without him fully realising it at the time.
“I was like a space hopper,” he said bluntly. “There wasn’t going to be a cream on the market that was going to get me there.”
Despite criticism online, Bobby insists he would rather be honest than sell followers unrealistic beauty myths. He blasted celebrities and influencers who deny having cosmetic procedures while presenting impossible standards online.
“We all know certain people who stand on a red carpet and go: ‘Eight hours sleep, two litres of H20 and a honey and oatmeal scrub’,” he laughed. “Darling, don’t lie to people.”
And while Bobby admitted he has no plans for immediate further surgery, he also refused to rule it out completely, candidly admitting body dysmorphia is “kind of a thing”.
