Victoria Beckham, fashion icon and former Spice Girl, has released a documentary that offers a rare glimpse into her life behind the cameras. While the series is fascinating for fans, especially those who follow her fashion brand, it also raises broader questions about how society and the media in particular talk about women and their bodies. It explores how she ‘killed the WAG’ and created a persona of her own without the Spice Girls or her husband.
On Tuesday (28th October), a petition was handed into parliament to raise the question of how the NHS deals with eating disorder treatment. It rallied together parents, friends, boyfriends, girlfriends of people who suffered, and some who even took their own lives.
It is no surprise to anyone who is active on social media that pressures in society today have exacerbated the mental illness, but this isn’t neccessarily a new problem, but it is an important one that is thriving in the digital age.
If you look at the coverage since the documentary’s release, many headlines fixate on Victoria Beckham’s past struggles with food and body image. It is telling that women’s worth is still so often measured through the lens of their physicality, a reminder that commentary on women’s bodies continues to drive attention, even in 2025, and even when Victoria was trying to warn of the dangers of doing precisely this.
Whether it is to raise awareness or to maliciously point out the very vulnerable story Victoria shared, it remains extremely telling that this became one of the focal points despite the main documentary being about the success of her fashion brand.
Living Under Constant Scrutiny
For decades, Beckham has navigated relentless public attention. From tabloids criticising her fashion choices to ongoing commentary on her appearance, she has been a constant target for scrutiny. Her documentary addresses these pressures, revealing how she negotiates her image while maintaining a sense of self. She admitted the tabloids made her question whether she was true to ‘porky posh’ or ‘skinny posh’.
The Media’s Authority Over Women
The media has long claimed the right to discuss women’s bodies, dictating how they should look, behave, and present themselves. These judgments, often disguised as opinion, reinforce societal pressures that disproportionately affect women. For public figures like Beckham, the impact is magnified. Every weight fluctuation, outfit choice, or public appearance becomes headline news.
But with Beckham, the criticism was twofold. She was not just a woman in the spotlight; she was a footballer’s wife. For years, that label threatened to eclipse her identity, discrediting her ambitions and talent before she even realised what she wanted from her life. The public narrative often framed her success as secondary, attached to David Beckham’s fame rather than her own drive, especially as he invested in her fashion brand.
Woman vs Wife vs WAG: The Battle for Identity
The documentary highlights how Beckham has long fought to be seen beyond the confines of that title. In one particularly revealing moment, David recounts how Victoria bought their first house, an anecdote that flips the narrative of dependency and underscores her agency, determination, and business acumen. It is a reminder that she has always had control, even when the world refused to see it.
Her journey raises a key question. Was she dismissed because she was a woman carving her own path, or because she was a wife stepping out from behind a famous husband? Are we forgetting she was in the best-selling girl group of all time? The truth perhaps lies in the intersection of both, a woman continually reasserting her right to exist as more than a supporting role.
Challenging the Narrative
Beckham’s documentary quietly pushes back against decades of misrepresentation. It reveals the person behind the polished exterior, showing that confidence and self-worth cannot be dictated by external commentary. It also highlights the harm in a culture that treats women’s appearances and identities as public property rather than personal choice.
Many assumed her famously icy exterior was a stylistic choice, but it was also a form of protection against constant paparazzi attention and public judgment. Beneath that armour, her vulnerability emerges, reminding viewers that even the most composed figures are shaped by the environments that critique them.
Reclaiming Agency
By sharing her story, Beckham asserts her right to narrate her own experiences, with a series that she entirely self-commissioned. The documentary is not just about fame or fashion; it is about reclaiming agency in a world that constantly critiques female bodies and identities. It invites viewers to reflect on how societal pressures shape perceptions of beauty, success, and womanhood, and how women, both famous and not, can resist those pressures.
For years, tabloids dominated by male voices worked to turn women against her, packaging casual misogyny as entertainment. The documentary exposes that manipulation, inviting women who once read those headlines to see her for who she truly is, not as a character created to sell newspapers.
She also includes her daughter, Harper, demonstrating a conscious effort to let her grow into her own skin without being shaped by media scrutiny. Beckham’s careful guidance shows the importance of nurturing self-confidence in the next generation.
Her story also affirms her place in the notoriously challenging fashion industry. Beckham pursued her vision relentlessly, ultimately earning respect and recognition from some of the world’s top industry professionals.
A Broader Commentary
Victoria Beckham’s new documentary is more than a celebrity profile; it is a commentary on the pervasive influence of media on women’s lives. In a culture where public discourse often claims the right to judge and define women’s bodies, her story reminds us that personal narrative and lived experience deserve to come first.
BEYOND THE WORD 