Jean Johansson, presenter of A Place in the Sun, has disclosed that she was brought to tears after being informed in previous years that she was “not Black enough, not White enough, and too fat” for certain job opportunities.
The 43-year-old television personality further revealed that she was recently rejected by one of the UK’s most prominent talent agencies.
Jean, who also presents Channel 4’s Key to Fortune, acknowledged that rejection has been a recurring challenge throughout her life and admitted that it continues to be a painful experience.
Port Glasgow-born Jean, who is married to former Rangers and Charlton Athletic footballer and coach Jonatan Johansson, reflected on the persistent rejection she has faced since her early days as a model.
“Rejection is something I’ve always had to deal with since being a model,” she shared. “Back then, it was like, ‘Not tall enough, not White enough, not Black enough, too fat, too small, too thick.’ They told you straight, and you just took your portfolio and moved on to the next casting.”
She recalled how, at 15 and 16, she would stand outside audition rooms in tears, but by 17 and 18, she had developed resilience. “It became, ‘Okay, next,'” she said. “I’m very, very thick-skinned now. I learned that in a harsh way, but I’m so grateful for it.”
Jean, speaking about her experiences on the H1THR podcast, admitted that she still faces frequent rejections and allows herself the space to process them.
She recalled a recent disappointment involving a prestigious London talent agency she had long aspired to join. “There was an agent that I had coveted for years and years, and I finally got a meeting with them—the biggest talent agent in London. I thought the meeting went really well and that they were the ones who would take me to that household name level,” she explained. “But they just passed. It was just an email: ‘Not the right time, Jean. We’ll come back to you, but you’re not for us.'”
Reflecting on rejection, she acknowledged, “There are always moments where you think, ‘What did I do wrong?’ But I’m not that 15-year-old crying outside the casting room anymore. Now, I can say, ‘They just weren’t for me.'”
She emphasized the importance of acknowledging disappointment. “Yeah, it hurts. And I think a big message I want to share today is that it’s okay to give yourself that space. When you don’t get a job, you’re allowed to grieve over it. You’re allowed to call your friends and vent, to lose sleep that night—then, you move on.”#newsafro_
