‘I'm Britain's oldest glamour model'

Suzy Monty, 69, from Truro in Cornwall, has been modelling since her 20s, and is still doing lingerie and glamour shoots. She tells why she’s determined to carry on

When I do photo shoots with younger models, the first thing they say to me is, “I can’t believe you’re 69-years-old!” My face is wrinkle-free, I’ve got long, shiny brunette locks and I’m fit and toned. I’ve posed in everything from ballgowns to bustiers and I’ve even bared all for naturist magazines.

It really gives me a thrill to know I can hold my own at my age and I don’t feel embarrassed about taking my clothes off for a shoot, even in front of a stranger. Why would I? I find it liberating.

I sunbathe and garden in the nude so it feels quite normal to me to bare all. At 5ft 7in, I’ve always been a size 10 and have weighed around 9st all my adult life, so I’m happy to show my body off.

For one advertising shoot I did for a naturist club, I posed with a male model in his 20s, who I’d never met before. We did a variety of shots posing by the pool, next to a snooker table and in the Jacuzzi.

You might think that my husband John, 73, a retired central heating engineer, would be jealous of me posing with a hunk who’s a third of my age, but not a bit of it. He’s been my biggest supporter for almost 50 years and in normal times acts as my chauffeur. He’s always been the man for me and, although like any couple we’ve had our ups and downs, there’s still a spark between us. I don’t want anybody else.

I first caught the modelling bug when I was 10, after winning a catwalk competition for young people. I thought, “This is fun!” Then, in my 20s, I won beauty contests, such as Miss Cornwall Swimwear, and my career started to take off.