Full Frontal: Time to Strip Bare

If you find yourself at a loose end this wintery Thursday evening, a new TV show makes its debut on RTE2, Full Frontal. With stylist extraordinaire Angela Scanlon at the helm, this show seeks to unearth Ireland’s relationship with nudity and explore a once taboo subject in a contemporary setting. Though a nudist beach on these Emerald shores may be a while off yet, this show may be the beginning of an Ireland more liberated and more comfortable with their curves and angles. Here, Angela gives us an idea of what we can expect.

What was the inspiration for doing a show like this?

Perhaps a little selfishly I’m exploring topics I’m fascinated with on a personal level! Basically the stuff I discuss with mates, sometimes in a quiet corner… Some are considered taboo and I don’t believe there’s any room for taboo anymore!

What are you hoping that people will take from watching this show?

I think they’ll see a slice of Irish life that suggests we are a lot further on than we sometimes give ourselves credit for. The contributors we have are subtly confident, they are proud of their choices and their bodies, they are not inhibited by guilt or judgement, perceived or otherwise. They approach life with an openness that is extremely refreshing. I hope they inspire people to do the same thing. To be unapologetic about whoever they are.

Do you think Irish women are particularly shy about their naked selves?

Sometimes! Perhaps it’s residual Catholic guilt or our particular brand of paleness? But I think we are getting better, we’re learning to accept ourselves and becoming more comfortable in our own skin. We can be a little judgemental, and I’m speaking for myself too, there are ideas around, for example about what naturists are, I had them too but I think there’s a lot to be learned from them. One of our contributors said his patent attitudes to nudity led to his own discomfort with maleness, he said he was taught that there was a time & place for nudity and that “the time was never and the place was nowhere”. That really struck me.

How did it feel getting naked yourself for the show, was it a liberating experience?

I have had an awkward relationship with my own body for a long time. It changes like the wind but seeing people of all shapes and sizes bare all without any self consciousness I felt jealous of how uninhibited they were and feel determined to push myself to the point where I can frolic freely in a field butt naked if I so wish!

@CarolineForan