Diary of a Facelift is the second book by Toyah Willcox, published in 2005 by Michael O'Mara Books. It is an autobiographical account of her experiences with cosmetic surgery.

Diary of a Facelift
AuthorToyah Willcox
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Genreautobiography
PublisherMichael O'Mara Books
Publication date
17 March 2005
Pages240
ISBN184317135X
Preceded byLiving Out Loud 

Background edit

Willcox had been contemplating cosmetic surgery ever since she was twenty-six. Her decision was eventually prompted in 2003, at the age of forty-five, when she took part in the second series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, after which she received unfavourable media coverage referring to her appearance, particularly a derogatory comment by Jonathan Ross on his BBC Radio 2 show.[1][2] For three years prior to her facelift, Willcox had been having regular botox injections under her eyes.[3]

The singer underwent the surgery in Paris in February 2004. It involved lifting her jawline and operating skin around her eyes, and has reportedly cost £7,500.[1] Graphic descriptions of the procedure as well as photos of the singer's recovery were included in the book. The cover photos of Toyah were taken by Dean Stockings. Excerpts from the book were published in The Daily Telegraph in the lead-up to its official release.[4] The book gained a large amount of media interest.

Reception edit

Diary of a Facelift has generated mixed response in the media. It was described in Glasgow Evening Times as "a truly remarkable account".[5] A negative opinion in The Guardian found it "galling for such an admirable woman to be setting such a bad example to the sisterhood".[6] Despite the controversy, the book reached the top 10 in many booksellers' lists, including Waterstones.

References edit

  1. ^ a b Singh, Rob (12 April 2012). "Toyah agony over facelift". Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  2. ^ Midweek. 16 March 2005. BBC Radio 4.
  3. ^ The Vanessa Feltz Show. 17 March 2005. BBC Radio London.
  4. ^ "Dreamscape • Past Toyah News • February 2005". toyah.net. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  5. ^ McKie, Gina (26 March 2005). "[The other day I read something which...]". Glasgow Evening Times. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
  6. ^ "The Feminist". The Guardian. 18 March 2005. Retrieved 18 July 2021.