CAM'S BODY IMAGE BATTLE 'IT'S OK NOT TO HAVE ABS!

After years of being bullied when he was younger, the CTI star wants to help empower others

Lying shirtless on the beach in his Calvin Klein togs, enjoying pool time in Tauranga or diving into the harbour in Auckland, former ZM radio host Cam Mansel lived his best life over the summer - and he's no longer reluctant to share such moments with the world.

During a youth spent being taunted about his weight and covering up with a t-shirt while swimming, the 32-year-old never imagined he'd be sharing photos of his beach bod on social media. In fact, it wasn't so long ago that Cam told Woman's Day about how past bullying experiences sparked a lifetime of struggles.

"There's aspects of body dysmorphia I still struggle with because when you've spent years being told you're fat every day, even when your body changes, you still hear those voices in your head," Cam told us in 2022.

Two years on, Cam recognises he'll forever face good and bad days with his body image, but he hopes his story - and shirtless snaps can empower others.

"It's so bizarre going from wearing T-shirts in the water to posting shirtless photos, but it's important that people see different bodies online," says Cam, who recently became marketing and operations manager at Play It Strange after seven years hosting ZM's Late Show. "If everyone's seeing photos of super-ripped guys with six-packs, that's not realistic. If someone who follows me is in that phase I went through, where you grow out before you grow up, it's cool if I can be that person who makes them think, 'It's OK not to have abs."