All the endorphins in the world couldn't make this a happy experience.
Great British Bake Off star Kim-Joy Hewlett is speaking out about a negative experience she had in a recent fitness class. The cookbook author, who released Baking With Kim-Joy in 2019, took to Instagram on May 27 to share a photo of herself sitting in her car, crying.
She wrote, "It's okay to say NO and walk away to protect your own mental health. See my stories today for details - but in summary, I walked out of an exercise class today due to a bullying instructor, and I feel good about it. I cried afterwards in the car but this is mostly angry cries, as well as disappointed cries cause WHY are people like this?!, and most importantly happy cries because I stood up for myself. I walked out, and I called him out on his behaviour."
The baker continued, "Whereas the old me would've been afraid of the confrontation, and just stayed and accepted being bullied, but I know now that I have self worth and I'm not sticking around to be treated like that. It's good to have boundaries, and it's good to say no to toxic people and situations. I highly recommend trying it if you haven't!!!"
Kim-Joy did not detail in her Instagram post exactly what the instructor did or said, however, she did add, "I know there are tons of amazing inclusive and body positive gyms and classes, so will just be taking myself elsewhere."
On her Instagram Story, Kim-Joy detailed how the instructor criticized her in front of her classmates, despite her telling him in advance that the exercise would be difficult for her. She also said she would not be publicly sharing the name of the instructor or the gym, as "there's lots more people like that and there's no use wasting energy on specific people."
And, in true Great British Bake Off alum fashion, Kim-Joy cheered herself up by baking.
"I'm making a big pavlova today," she wrote on her Instagram Story alongside a video of the pastry cooking in the oven. "Big pavlova full of love and happiness!"