IS Demi MoorAe the most beautiful person in the world?
People magazine in the US certainly thinks so. The 62-year-old actress has been .
And in an accompanying interview, e, describing how she used to “punish”; herself with “crazy”; workouts to stay in shape.
But she didn’t mention the elephant in the room – her suspiciously youthful appearance that many suspect has been .
It’s kicked off a debate over what being beautiful means in 2025 – and whether we should really celebrate trying to stay young at any cost.
Here, two Sun writers ponder if we should smooth our path into older age with cosmetic tweaks – or embrace the lumps and bumps of ageing naturally.
ULRIKA JONSSON
WELL, blow me over with a feather and call me Granny.
People magazine in the US has named actress the world’s “most beautiful”; person — .
The rest of us mere mortals nudging 60 should breathe a huge sigh of relief, give the world a huge round of applause and perhaps even throw in a Mexican wave for recognising an “older woman”; in this way.
But hold on one quilt-stitching minute. but, let’s face it, she doesn’t look a day over 40.
So, is this really a valuable, credible and reliable honour??
Whoever it was that chose her or voted for her did so under the pretence of recognising a “woman of a certain age”;.
Instead of choosing a young whipper—snapper in their 20s, someone, somewhere made themselves feel a whole lot better by picking a sexagenarian, in order — one assumes — to appease all of us who’ve been championing older women and been so often overlooked and ignored.
It’s telling the world — and more specifically, women — that we can only be valued and worthy IF we disguise our real age and strive for youth and agelessness
Someone, somewhere — in this case, — has patted themselves on the back for shining the light on a woman in her 60s who might otherwise be forgotten or considered a societal pariah for daring to look her age.
The irony is that . She looks beautiful. But definitely not 62.
This “award”; tells us all we need to know about what we value about women in 2025.
It’s telling the world — and more specifically, women — that we can only be valued and worthy IF we disguise our real age and strive for youth and agelessness.
It’s a damning indictment of all those years when “”; was front and centre of our considerations when it came to the substance and appearance of a woman.
There we were, kicking off a conversation and establishing a fresh narrative about how women need to actually be accepted for their actual shape and actual age.
One which would see us not be dismissed and forgotten once we started navigating a life of wrinkles, diminishing and the menacing .
We started embracing the idea that just because women age, they may not want to go quietly into old age.
No! We were starting to get our heads around older women still having the same value — regardless of age — as the young ’uns.
Their aesthetic currency was becoming legal tender.
Or so I thought.
What this “award”; does is underline and reignite the idea that we ONLY celebrate women who fight ageing with a vengeance.
‘Body positivity’
And worse still, it very depressingly confirms that true, socially acceptable beauty is only attainable with the intervention of and or whole .
Not to mention a lorry full of cash.
, because it would be impossible for anyone to look like that in their 60s.
And that’s become the problem: we no longer know what a 60-year-old looks like because there aren’t many women’s faces that have been left alone to allow Mother Nature to do what she does — age us.
I have no objection to Demi herself — she looks great, even though I’m conscious that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
It’s what she, and this supposed award, represents and pretends to tell women that I rail against. The message is very clear, ladies — you can only be seen and valued IF you stay youthful.
Little wonder, then, that the majority of our 20-year-olds are intent on already at their tender age, when their faces haven’t even started to develop frowns or crow’s feet.
Of course, I absolutely and unequivocally accept that women are entitled to do what they want with their faces and bodies.
I, myself, am no stranger to Botox in my forehead once a year.
But if we’ve already swapped the “body positivity”; and ageing naturally narrative for some kind of , then we’re putting women in an impossible situation.
Because we all know that when , we judge them.
We will always say: “She looks good for her age, BUT she’s had a lot of work done . . .”;
And if a woman ages without trying to remain youthful in appearance, she will be knocked for looking “too old”;, “not ageing well”; or “letting herself go”;.
This award to Demi is meaningless and purely cosmetic
I’ve noticed the ageing process more and more recently, and I’ve had to have a word with myself because I’m not 21 any more.
I will be 58 in four months.
If I overdo filler etc, everyone will say it shows.
And if I leave my face alone, they’ll say I’ve aged badly.
This award to Demi is meaningless and purely cosmetic.
On the outside, it pretends to value the older woman — but on the inside, it’s telling women, “For God’s sake don’t age whatever you do”;, not for love nor .
In short, it’s become impossible to age, whichever route you choose to take.
So, that’s yet another thing to look forward to about growing older.
CHARLOTTE OLIVER
UNFURROW those disapproving brows, people. You’ll give yourselves wrinkles.
Yes, I’m putting the face in facetious, but — quite frankly — I am fed up with all this faux outrage when it comes to women using artificial means to maintain their youthful glow. So what?
The industrial beauty complex didn’t begin and end with Demi Moore. She is simply a symptom of it — a very good looking symptom.
So, shouldn’t we celebrate the wins when we can get them?
The big win is that, at 62, Demi has been crowned People magazine’s most beautiful person in the world.
She’s proven that those so—called “women of a certain age”; should no longer be shunned — in Hollywood, of all places.
A land that has historically held a zero tolerance policy to female ageing.
Need I remind you of that old showbiz joke about the four stages of life for an actress?
More than four decades later, she’s not denying her age.In fact, she’s embracing it — making her seventh decade her best one yet, and winning both film and beauty plaudits in the process
So it goes, “1. Who’s Elizabeth Taylor? 2. Get me Elizabeth Taylor. 3. Get me a young Elizabeth Taylor. 4. Who’s Elizabeth Taylor?”;
That’s been writ since day dot in Tinseltown — and it’s certainly been the case since , aged 19, on the US soap opera .
More than four decades later, she’s not denying her age.
In fact, she’s embracing it — making her seventh decade her best one yet, and winning both and beauty plaudits in the process.
But why does that mean she has to do so au naturel?
Sure, she’s clearly had some things plumped, some things smoothed and a few things tightened.
‘Plumped and tightened’
But, as far as I’m concerned, the actress is leading a revolution — one which ultimately comes down to the right to get older.
Granted, in a perfect (or imperfect) world, we wouldn’t feel the need to tweak and change ourselves to achieve a certain image.
Yet that’s simply not realistic, whatever age you are. Just take a wider look at the world of showbiz and entertainment.
Look at your favourite reality stars, and and beauty gurus — many of whom are in their 20s and 30s.
I can guarantee that more than a few of them have altered their appearance — and that’s before they’ve slapped a sultry filter on their reel. These days, it’s par for the course — like getting your done or your highlighted.
I’m not saying it’s a good thing. I’m also not saying it’s a bad thing. It’s simply a thing.
And in Hollywood, the most radical thing of all is to completely eschew the plastic process. I applaud that, too — but I certainly don’t chastise anyone for adhering to the status quo.
As for in the public eye, and the turmoil it takes on the person who has long been venerated for their youth and beauty.
Heck, was all about that very conceit (no pun intended).
Who could forget that haunting scene when Demi — in character as a former fitness icon put to pasture at the age of 50 — brutally smears her across her face in anger at the person facing her in the mirror?
— is being very open about the internal battle with ageing. She’s not denying it for a second.
I’d love to know, in painstaking detail, just how much filler she’s had, whether she’s had injectables or CO2 lasers. But that’s Demi’s information to share
But why does that mean she has to embrace, celebrate and display every wrinkle proudly?
Especially in Hollywood, where women half her age have their breakfast with a side of Botox?
Now, do I wish Demi would be a little more honest about the steps she’s taken to be so smooth-faced?
Yes, of course. I think it would lessen the pressures faced by fans who stack themselves up against these unattainable beauties, and — in their eyes — fall short.
I’d love to know, in painstaking detail, just how much filler she’s had, whether she’s had injectables or CO2 lasers. But that’s Demi’s information to share.
In the meantime, what we do know is that she hasn’t had a face transplant. She was stunning when she first found fame four decades ago, and she’s still stunning now.
What’s exciting is that she’s being celebrated for it today, at the grand old age of 62. Now, isn’t that a beautiful thing?
