Cheryl Fernandez-Versini says body-shaming should be made illegal as she's worried for the next generation of women

The X Factor Judge was called a 'bag of bones' on Instagram in July

Cheryl Fernandez-Versini has spoken out against the cruel remarks she has faced on social media, saying that body shaming is "bulls**t" and that she wants it to be made illegal.

In July, during filming for The X Factor, Fernandez-Versini had to personally defend her size after someone on her Instagram called her a ‘bag of bones’. She said she was sick and tired of a culture where it was ‘acceptable’ to body shame thinner women.

Speaking to ES Magazine, she said: “Body shaming has to stop. It’s bulls**t. Something has to be done, changed, even if it’s done in law.”

Fernandez-Versini said her weight-loss - not that it’s anyone’s business - was down to the stress and grief she suffered after her father-in-law passed away.

“I am very happy and very healthy. Every woman has a different body type and and handles stress and grief differently,” she told the magazine.

Referring to the way her physique is criticised in the media, she said that she had grown more resilient after being in the public eye for so long.

“I can take whatever they [the press] throw at me after 13 years, what worries me is what it’s doing to the younger generation. And some of the people writing this stuff are women. There is no sisterhood.”

At the time, she said she was sick of people thinking it was okay to body shame her.

“Have some respect and maybe think there may be reasons before opening your mouth please.”