A woman from Stoke-on-Trent who turned down The Undateables after posting a birthmark photo says she is glad she went viral - for the most part.

Lexxie Harford, 30, claims she said no to the hit Channel 4 show in 2015.

The digital illustrator says she was approached her after a candid picture she posted of her facial birthmark went worldwide.

Eight years on, Lexxie says she is glad other people gained confidence from it - and thinks it may have kickstarted wider acceptance of facial irregularities.

Lexxie's photos went viral online in 2015 (Lexxie Harford).

But she also received a lot of uncomfortable attention - including from men looking to date and sleep with her.

Lexxie said: "I got so many emails from men. One guy said he was married but wanted to be 'more than friends' and another offered to build me a house. 

"I remember thinking, 'This is bananas'. So many people reached out to me saying, 'I have this too and I'm not going to wear makeup now'.

"I've always been okay with how my face looks. I'm not self-conscious of my face, but I've had a lot of people reach out to me who have found confidence because of the story going viral."

Lexxie posted a picture of her birthmark on Imgur in 2015.

It was soon 'liked' more than 100,000 times, with hundreds commenting too.

And within a few hours, she was contacted by a reporter asking to write about her. 

Lexxie has helped other people with facial irregularities feel more confident (Lexxie Harford).

Lexxie said: "I posted some selfies on Imgur and didn't realise it was public.

"I refreshed the page 10 minutes later and it had 100 comments. By the end of the night, I had been contacted by an American paper asking if they could write about me. 

"I agreed thinking it would raise awareness, and then off the back of that loads of people reached out to me - it went viral before going viral was really a thing. 

"For someone who might be more sensitive, I can only imagine what it might have done to them."

The story snowballed and, within a week, she was asked to appear on dating shows Too Ugly For Love and The Undateables, she claims.

Lexxie said: "Some people were saying 'I love how you look' and other people were saying, 'So you want to be on Too Ugly For Love?' 

"Another one that reached out was The Undateables – I think they both try to hide what they actually are but really it was just about saying 'these people are ugly in our eyes'." 

Lexxie says she was also invited to appear in a coverup makeup campaign for a prominent skincare brand.

She says she took part in the campaign as it celebrated differences while offering makeup catered to people with birthmarks or skin discolouration. 

And now, reflecting years later, she says she's glad she went viral - for the most part.

Lexxie said: "I think it's a really good thing and it was where I saw the change start. I don't mind it being part of my identity, wish I knew a better way to continue to raise awareness."

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