Amelia Bernardi talks with her hands, laughs with her whole body and has never once been late to a good meal. She's 40, based in London, platinum blonde, and a mum of two teenage girls who tell her she's embarrassing. She takes that as a compliment.
Her family is Italian, but she grew up in the UK, so she got the best of both: the food from one side and the weather complaints from the other. We met her in her kitchen, where a pot of sauce had been going since morning.
The Amelia File
- Age: 40
- Based in: London
- Background: Italian family, raised in the UK
- Family: Two teenage daughters
- Hair: Platinum blonde
- Height: 5'6"
- Bra size (UK): 34D
- Bust / waist / hips: 38 / 27 / 40 in
- Figure: Hourglass
- Weakness: Shoes
Measurements are approximate. Bra sizes use UK sizing.
The Interview
Italian or British. Which side wins?
Depends what we're arguing about. Food, Italian, always. Complaining about the weather, British. I'm very good at both.
What has raising teenage girls taught you?
That confidence matters more than anything I could say to them. Girls get a lot of pressure to look and act a certain way, and I want mine to feel fine being themselves. Also, never touch their chargers.
Do they think their mum is glamorous?
They think I'm embarrassing. Which is the right answer. If they ever think I'm cool, I'll know I've done something wrong.
How do you feel about getting older?
I'm fine with it. I don't want to look 25. I want to look like the best 40-year-old in the room. That's a different goal, and a more fun one.
You're clearly not shy. Where does that come from?
Life. You go through enough, and one day you realise worrying about what everyone thinks is exhausting. So you stop. It's the best decision I ever made.
Tell us about the cooking.
My nonna's ragu, on Sundays, four hours. The kitchen smells amazing and nobody is allowed to rush me. If you want to speed it up, you can eat toast.
What's your weakness?
Shoes. I own a pair I have never worn outside. They're for the right occasion. The right occasion has not arrived yet.
Quick Fire
- Coffee order? Espresso. Standing up, like a civilised person.
- Biggest pet peeve? Cream in carbonara. Don't.
- Karaoke choice? Anything with a huge chorus and no shame.
- Morning or night? Night. Mornings are for people with less personality.
- Best heels or best trainers? Heels, but I carry the trainers.
Our Take
Amelia's platinum hair is the first thing you see and her curves are the second. What stays with you is the attitude. She walks into a room dressed exactly how she wants and doesn't check whether everyone approves.
That kind of confidence arrives around 40. It's calmer than the younger version. She isn't trying to prove she's desirable, because she already decided that years ago. Add a big Italian warmth and a very British sense of the ridiculous, and you get a woman who can be glamorous without taking herself too seriously.
She looks sweet at first glance. Spend ten minutes with her and you'll find out sweet is only part of it.
See More of Amelia
Her full page is right here, and you can browse everything she has shared on her pics page.
