The evolution of Edna ‘I HATED MY BODY'

The Boss Babes beauty reveals her battle with self-confidence, surgery secrets and a family tragedy

- Sebastian van der Zwan

She’s spent much of her time on Celebrity Treasure Island in a bikini, but incredibly, Edna Swart confesses there was a time when she wasn’t so comfortable in her own skin.

“I was an introverted, shy girl, so my dad put me into athletics to build my confidence,” the South African-born entrepreneur and star of reality series Boss Babes tells Woman’s Day. “I hated competing because I had to wear a crop top and I had severe acne growing up – not just my face, but on my chest, back and legs.

“I’ll never forget when I was in primary school and the teacher asked everyone who had freckles to put their hands up. This girl turned to me and said, ‘Those aren’t freckles – you’ve got pimples!’ I was completely and utterly embarrassed by my body.”

After years of athletics, Edna says she finally “made peace” with her appearance at about 23. It was only four years later that she learnt the reason for her acne, as well as her irregular periods and excessive hair growth.