Jono Lancaster | Journey to Self-Love
Living with a positive and protective mother, Jono enjoyed primary school and felt comfortable both at home and in public. Upon moving to high school, however, things changed for Jono as fellow pupils began to pick on him for his facial differences. He became more withdrawn, and his social life suffered as a result.
As his friends started getting into relationships, he felt a relationship would never happen for him. He became very angry and questioned why he looked like he did. Where he had embraced his looks as a younger child, he came to hate his face and blame it for all the things that went wrong in his life.
As a coping mechanism, Jono became obsessed with his body, diet, tanning and exercise, feeling his body needed to be the best it could be.
Later, when going on a date and hearing the words “I love your face”, Jono started to see himself differently, filling him with confidence. This was a trigger for making him feel more positive about himself and his face.
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Not long later in a gym he found himself admiring his new trainers in the mirror and moved his eyes up to note other things he liked about himself. Normally, he would stop at his shoulders and avoid looking at his face in the mirror but on this occasion, he looked at his face and noted his blue eyes, which made him smile. He saw a dimple he had never noticed before. Smiling like a Cheshire cat, he realised he loved his face and he loved himself.
After this, he felt more confident getting out of his comfort zone and he went on to embrace the world around him with this newfound self-love and acceptance. He found the more he stepped out into the world, the more positive he was made to feel by the people around him.
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Jono Lancaster | Not All Heroes Wear Capes
In 2023, Jono Lancaster published his book, Not All Heroes Wear Capes, which delves into his own experiences and how he learnt how to embrace who he is.
In the book, Jono shares his remarkable story and explores the ups and downs of the journey he has taken to love himself and inspires others to do the same.
He also tells about the people in his life who have helped support him and how they have had a pivotal role in getting him to where he is now.
Jono Lancaster said the book is for everybody as everyone is trying to find some self-love and acceptance, and we all have things we need to work on.
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Jono Lancaster | Disability Campaigner
Jono works across the world to help those with facial differences be more accepting of themselves. Using his experiences to guide others on how to embrace their differences is a constant goal for Jono. Whilst he acknowledges things are changing, he feels that mainstream culture could be doing more to help acceptance and equality for those with facial differences.
In 2019, Jono Lancaster co-founded the Love Me Love My Face Foundation, set up to raise awareness of Treacher Collins Syndrome and craniofacial conditions, supporting families and educating individuals and the public.
The charity also helps support individuals and families, as well as educate people about Treacher Collins and how it might impact those who have it.
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Jono Lancaster | On TV
Jono Lancaster has appeared in a number of TV programmes including:
– Love Me, Love My Face: A documentary aired on BBC Three in 2011. It followed Jono’s life and experiences living with Treacher Collins syndrome.
– Embracing Differences: A segment on the daytime talk show This Morning on ITV, where Jono shared his story and advocated for people with facial differences.
– Bodyshockers: Nips, Tucks and Tattoos: Jono appeared on this Channel 4 show, where he discussed body image and the importance of self-acceptance.
– Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice: Another Channel 4 documentary series that explored society’s attitudes towards physical appearance, where Jono’s story was featured to highlight the challenges and discrimination faced by those with facial disfigurements.
– Love My Face: Jono led the 4 part series following people with a range of visible facial differences as they seek support, advice and explore transformative treatments to help accept or address their differences.
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