Plus size influencer hits out at Ryanair for 'the tightest bathroom' she's EVER experienced

Daily Mail​

15-05-2025

A plus size influencer has called out Ryanair for having the 'tightest bathroom' she's ever had to use in a travel vlog.
Australian content creator Brooke Phoebe recently posted a video titled 'Flying while fat' on TikTok, as she broke down every aspect of taking a flight as a size 30-32 woman.
'I show you everything, walking down the aisle in the plane, getting into my seat, the bathrooms...everything.
'Now I flew with Ryanair, which is a budget airline here in the UK,' she said in a voiceover.
The clip began with footage of Brooke walking down the narrow aisle to reach her allotted seat 'just to show big girls what it's like to get on the plane at the last minute'.
She advised fellow plus size 'girlies' not to rush, adding most passengers 'takes a while...to get into their seat'.
After explaining she picked for the 'two-seat configuration' so there was 'no one next to' her and her fellow traveller.
Brooke said she was able to 'spread out even more' after her co-passenger moved to the row in front after realising it was completely empty.
'I get so many messages about using an airplane bathroom and I'm not going to lie, this is the tightest I've experienced,' Brooke said.
She also shared her top tip for flying as a big girl, adding: 'I always recommend going to the bathroom as soon as people start boarding.
'That way you're less likely needing to use the bathroom on the plane.'
She concluded her video by addressing other plus size women, who might feel self-conscious while travelling by public modes of transport, as she said: 'You deserve to take up space in this world.
'Even on an aeroplane.'
While Brooke's video received several supportive messages on TikTok, it was also met with criticism from some social media users - who said she should treat the experience as a 'wake up call'.
'There is nothing wrong with being a bit bigger or a curvy girl,' one comment read. 'But if this was consuming my life and worrying me I would think it's time to do something about it.
'It can't be comfortable.'
While Brooke's video received several supportive messages on TikTok, it was also met with criticism from some social media users - who said she should treat the experience as a 'wake up call' to focus on her health
Another said: 'This should be a sign that now it's time to change.'
A third added: 'If this is not your wake up call I don't know what is. You're young, work on your fitness and health. You will thank me later.'
Brooke, who also shared the now-viral video on her Instagram account, replied to one such comment after she received a message that read: 'Why would you be spending time making an Instagram page about how fat you are and not use this time to lose wait [sic]?
'You're trying to make other people think it's alright tro be this fat?'
Sharing a screenshot of the message on her Instagram Stories, Brooke hit back:'I love wasting people's time by just existing,'
Brooke's vlog about her experience flying with the budget airline comes three years after another plus size influencer similarly faced online trolling for complaining about the size of Ryanair's seats and tiny toilets.
Kirsty Leanne, from Shropshire, filmed the clip while flying with the budget carrier from London Stansted to Hamburg in April 2022, revealing how she struggled to fit down the plane's narrow aisle, couldn't use the tray table due to lack of space, and could barely move in the toilet cubicle.
In the viral clip, which she shared to her TikTok account, Kirsty can be seen showing her computer screen where she has been allocated a middle aisle seat.
Her post showed how little space she had on the flight as she tried to squeeze into the plane, before she also shared a photo of the seatbelt extender.
Meanwhile she shared a short clip as she attempted to use the tray table, which she said was a 'big fat no', and revealed she had little space to move in the airplane's bathroom cubicle.
She captioned the clip, which has racked up more than one million views, 'Flying Ryanair with no upgrades'.
Kirsty made headlines again when she claimed she was left with bruises after travellig on a National Express coach due to the seat size.
She later admitted how the influx of hateful comments under her vlogs, posted on her social media handles, had started to 'affect me' - while estimating she gets between 50 and 3,000 cruel messages a day at the time.
One such comment read: 'You don't deserve to take up more space and I will do what I can to make it as uncomfortable for you whenever I can.'
'Usually 300+ is stored under the plane,' another troll messaged the blogger.
'There hasn't been a day over the last six weeks where I haven't received a hate comment,' Kirsty said at the time.
'It doesn't bother me when I get one or two, but it when I get comments in the masses it really can start to affect me.
'My whole business is about showing plus size people that they don't have to lose weight to enjoy themselves and it can be hard to portray that message when I'm told on a daily basis that it's not true.
'When it gets really bad I have to take myself offline and have a little breather, but this can be difficult when my business revolves around me being active on social media.
'The worst comments are when people make snap judgements about my lifestyle or those that tell me that plus size people don't deserve to be treated the same as straight size people.
'It's wild that in 2022, people still think like that when it comes to weight and weight gain.'
She said that she tries for the most part to shrug off the negativity but confessed sometimes the hate can get to her.
She added: 'I know everyone responses to hate comments differently. Some people delete, block and ignore and others choose to address them.
'I don't think either are wrong as everyone processes things in their own way and from experience, I know how much they can consume you.
'Personally, I do reply to the odd comments but it can be hard to keep up. I don't feel obligated to reply but sometimes it's hard not to, especially when I feel like I have to defend the plus size community.
'I'd hate for others to see what people are saying without reassurance that the trolls are wrong.
'I do occasionally have a little fun with it though! Especially if someone comments something ridiculous.
'People make a snap judgement about me based on my size. They see me as a burden on society and they're not afraid to tell me that.
'Whether it's telling me I'm going to have a heart attack at 30 or that they'd hate to look like me, every single comment they have to make is because I'm in a bigger body than they are.
'In reality, they should be directing their anger towards airlines and other spaces that are not accessible and they're the reason they're not comfortable.
'Of course, their response is, "Well it's your own fault that you're fat", which just isn't true.
'There are so many factors that can affect someone's weight and no matter what someone's circumstances are, they shouldn't be any less worthy of respect, enjoyment, comfort and safety.'
But determined Kirsty hasn't been put off by the hateful comments and still continues to share her experiences to this day.
In 2022, she noted: 'Happy people don't hurt others and for the most part, the people leaving these comments are not happy in their own lives and so take it out on others.
'If you're ever in the position where you receive a lot of comments, remember that their opinions don't have to define you.
'Deal with it in whatever way helps you best and continue being your awesome self.