Going to school and getting bullied is sadly pretty common.
The after effects of being the target of wicked playground taunts can last a lifetime – but these few women have turned their pain into power.
Despite being branded a 'ginger minger' by nasty peers and having classmates pick apart every smidgen of their appearance, they are now models – and get all the right attention.
So here, we take a look at how four women got the last laugh by shrugging off the bullies and are now adored by thousands of men.
READ MORE: Woman called 'ginger minger' at school gets last laugh – by becoming bikini model
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Carmen Rouse
Carmen Rouse, from Wales, is a tattooed bikini model who loves to flaunt her signature red hair.
Although the 31-year-old is now admired for her fiery locks and gorgeous figure by her 25,000 Instagram fans, the mum-of-one's tresses weren't always fawned over.
For teenage Carmen, school as a "chubby ginger" child was not easy. Her red hair made her target for bullies – with some calling her a "ginger minger" and others comparing her to a "sack of carrots",
"I started getting into fitness first because I was quite a chubby child and I was ginger," Carmen previously revealed in an exclusive interview with us.
"They used to call me a sack of carrots instead of a sack of spuds... it was awful. So I thought, you know what? I'm gonna go to the gym, I'm gonna lose loads of weight and I went bleach blonde at the time in the summer holidays.
"Then I went back to school as a completely new person and I still got bullied for a little bit."
However, as she matured, Carmen's confidence grew throughout her 20's and into her early 30s.
Since plucking up the courage a couple of years ago, the ex-optician manager has been in a whole array of modelling competitions – including landing the top three spot in Miss Swimsuit UK and UK Glamour Awards.
She now regularly posts sexy snaps to her Instagram where she's inundated with compliments galore – and recently decided to dye her hair blonde. But, she's never forgetting her roots.
"With walking around in a bikini all day, you're embracing your figure and I just came out of my shell," she expressed. "Then ever since then I've built this confidence and I realised to embrace it."
Elley Davies
Fellow Welsh model Elley Davies was also the target of bullying. And the taunts weren't just in the confines of the school gates, they also took place on social media.
The 20-year-old has racked up an impressive 762,000 TikTok followers and a further 100,000 on Instagram thanks to her unique look.
Elley was born with a 'lazy' eye – or strabismus – which meant that she could only use about 20% of her vision in her left eye, with the right working overtime.
Along with being teased at school, Elley has been mercilessly trolled online – but used the hate to her advantage. Her impressively sassy responses earned her a huge following.
And impressively, she has now built a modelling career off the back of it. Elley says she's raked in an impressive £300,000 so far.
"People's opinions always mattered to me growing up, to the point I would change it if someone even commented on it," Elley, who posts on OnlyFans, previously told us in an interview.
"But there was something about TikTok that I really had my heart set on, it was something I genuinely enjoyed doing!
"I wasn’t going to let anyone take away the happiness I got from it, so I didn’t. Yes I’m still human, I still read them sometimes and get upset but that’s completely normal.
“Sometimes I even comment back things agreeing with the trolls, I just want to show I’m not bothered because I’m not!"
In 2023, Elley decided to spend £4,000 from her modelling salary to undergo surgery. She wanted to 'fix' her eye turn as she feared totally losing vision in her left eye.
The beauty still proudly calls herself 'the girl with the wonky eye' – and still gets trolled for her looks.
But, Elley is focusing on her modelling and content creating career. She's modelled for the likes of Love My Tan and is often invited to events with big brands like PrettyLittleThing.
Nina Woolley
Blonde bombshell Nina Woolley has been modelling since she was 18 – and she's even featured in a number of Playboy magazines across the globe.
With her career spanning 12 years so far, the Geordie beauty has racked up a huge social media presence with 170,000 Instagram followers. And she's not short of male attention.
Even though Nina's modelling has seen her travel the world to some of the most luxurious places, there were plenty of naysayers who told her she'd never make it as a professional poser.
In secondary school, the 5'8 busty blonde was the victim of mean girls who "were the worst" to Nina. She shared: "I was always told I should never model that I’m not 'pretty enough', 'tall enough', 'skinny enough' or whatever.
"And I just thought I’m going to do it anyway. It was the high school girls saying that – they were mean, they were the worst."
However, she's certainly proven them wrong. Nina is still booked and busy as she enters her early 30s – and the work is not slowing down.
Her biggest achievement is being a Playboy Bunny and she was even offered £10,000 by "obsessed" fans who wanted her hair, though Nina did not oblige.
"I remember when I started out and I thought it’s Playboy or nothing," Nina admitted to us. "I didn’t think it would ever happen so it’s pretty cool. I never wanted to do anything else."
Lauren Knight
Page 3 star Lauren Knight was bullied in school for her modelling dreams.
But, she's certainly shut up the haters as she made her dream into a reality – a very successful one of that. The Kent-based beauty was mocked by fellow students and even a teacher because of her career aspirations.
Business owner and Daily Star Page 3 girl Lauren recalled: "I remember being a young girl in secondary school, saying my dream job would be being a model.
"Fast forward to year 11 and my modelling career has started! The girls in school who used to bully me now want to be my friend and know about me."
From being picked on to popular, Lauren is "proud" of what she's managed to achieve and so early on in her life.
The stunner said that modelling is 'empowering' for her and has helped not only build her confidence, but has also helped her progress in life financially.
“I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, I’ve travelled, been on billboards, been able to work with my fiancé and worked with my favourite brands," Lauren said to us.
"It also enables me to be able to fulfil my goals in life. I can’t think of any lows in my career, I absolutely love what I do.
"And I’ve been able to start my own businesses on the back of modelling. I own a women’s clothing brand called So Amore and also Pet Boutique that caters for natural treats, toys, bedding and more."
