Ashley James has opened up about her personal struggles with her self-worth and body image, admitting it took her a ‘really long time’ for her to accept herself.

The TV personality, 37, is determined to ensure her two-year-old daughter, Ada, never faces those same battles and is committed to breaking free from the societal pressures that often leave women feeling inadequate.

Speaking candidly about her journey towards self-acceptance, Ashley explained how important it is for her to protect Ada from the toxic culture of body image obsession.

She exclusively told MailOnline: ‘I really don’t want my daughter to ever feel like she’s not enough or to ever critique herself, especially when, you know, we can’t change our body shape.

‘Women are so much more than our bodies, and we should be learning how to respect ourselves and strength.’

Ashley said it’s not just about resisting the pressure for women to look a certain way but also about redefining beauty on her own terms.

Ashley James has opened up about her personal struggles with self-worth and body image, admitting it took her a ‘really long time’ to accept herself

The TV personality, 37, is determined to ensure her two-year-old daughter, Ada, never faces those same battles 

She emotionally told how she wants her daughter to know her value is not determined by her appearance.

‘I want Ada to grow up and know that she can be a footballer if she wants and not have to waste time thinking about food and diets,’ she shared.

Ashley also reflected on how long it took her to accept her body, a journey that now fuels her passion to spread positivity and challenge the harmful beauty standards.

‘I feel really passionate about it because I think it took me so long to get to a point where I respected and appreciated my body and wanted to do good for my body, especially, you know, in a society that I feel like always makes women’s bodies trends,’ she explained.

‘It’s just something that I really want to try and help women kind of not see skinniness and shrinking themselves as the ultimate goal.’

But it’s not just her daughter that Ashley worries about – she also has concerns for her four-year-old son, Alfie, whom she shares with her partner Tommy Andrews.

‘I want to keep using my voice to give women and girls a voice and keep fighting for equality and, you know, keep getting involved in politics and doing what I can to make not only the world better for my daughter, but also for my son because I worry about him as well growing up in this world,’ she said.

As part of her efforts to create positive change, Ashley has teamed up with the FA and Barclays for this year’s Biggest Ever Football Session called Made for this Game, which takes place on March 7. 

Ashley reflected on how long it took her to accept her own body, a journey that now fuels her passion to spread positivity and challenge the harmful beauty standards 

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The event encourages schools across the country to get as many young girls as possible playing football on the same day.

Explaining why she’s so passionate about this initiative, Ashley said: ‘I spent quite a lot of time with young girls as part of my job and obviously this week is International Women’s Week. 

‘On Monday, I was doing a shoot with lots of 4 to 8-year-old girls. I asked them, “What’s the best thing about being a girl?” and they said, “Oh, that we get to play football now.”‘

Ashley, who has been a lifelong football fan thanks to her dad’s love for Newcastle United, recalled her early years of going to games with him. 

‘Since I was three years old, I remember my dad would always joke that I should be a sports journalist so he could get free tickets, but I never really even thought it was an option because you never saw women represented, especially in the men’s game,’ she said.

But what excites Ashley about the current state of women’s sports is the growing representation, citing Alex Scott as a huge inspiration to young girls.

‘The FA’s commitment to equality in sports is amazing,’ she said. ‘It’s so inspiring to see how many young girls see themselves being represented and enjoy the sport, looking up to not just female footballers but also pundits like Alex Scott, who is such an inspiration.’

Ashley added: ‘I’d like to think that my son and my daughter grow up knowing that girls have a space, a seat at the table as well, and not just as players, but as pundits or journalists or whatever it is they want to do in both men’s and women’s sports.’

But it’s not just her daughter that Ashley worries about – she also has concerns for her four-year-old son, Alfie, whom she shares with her partner Tommy Andrews (pictured all together last year)

The FA’s Biggest Ever Football Session encourages young girls to engage with football beyond just playing. 

From coaching to refereeing to sports journalism, the initiative aims to show girls that they belong in every aspect of the game.

Louise Gear, the FA’s Head of Development, said: ‘Last year, we saw a record number of girls playing football at our Biggest Ever Football Sessions, an incredible achievement that showcases the appetite young girls have for the game. 

‘But we know that there are girls who don’t necessarily play but want to be involved. This year’s session is about showing all girls that they belong in football in every capacity.’

For more information regarding the campaign visit www.englandfootball.com.