ACTRESS Melissa Suffield has been praised by fans for telling them "you should have flab".

The EastEnders star, who played Lucy Beale on the BBC soap, shared a series of pictures of herself in a striped bikini and was thanked for her positive message.

30-year-old Melissa, who had her son River in March 2020, told them: "When the swimwear matches your skin

"It’s National bikini day! So this is a reminder that you can wear a bikini, even if you have marks, lines, rolls, sag, flab, texture, or softness. In fact, you SHOULD.

"Because you’re going to look absolutely, don’t deprive the world of something so unbelievably beautiful and fierce."

Melissa – who goes by the handle @the.confidentmama on Instagram – was quickly praised for promoting a realistic body shape on Instagram, without using filters and flattering angles.

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One person replied: "I hate my rolls and dimples, but this year on holiday, thanks to you, I embraced them and wore a bikini.

"If people stared I thought let them. My body has been threw so much trauma I'm lucky to be here. So thank you for all your inspirational posts xx"

And a second said: "You’re a star for using your platform to promote self love."

One more typed: "Absolutely love your posts , empowering and celebrating everything that is the gift of natural beauty, your truly inspirational."

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Melissa played Lucy on BBC soap EastEnders during the character’s rebellious teenage years, making on-screen dad Ian Beale’s life hell by drinking, smoking, becoming pregnant and even going missing.

But she was axed in 2010 amid rumours bosses weren’t impressed with her off-screen behaviour and attitude outside work after she was spotted in a London nightclub while underage.

Melissa is now focusing on being a body positive parenting influencer.

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