This is how Jessica Pardoe’s story about how she is Britain’s tallest girl appeared in the Sunday Mirror newspaper and then the Daily Mail.
Sunday Mirror Story
Britain’s tallest girl measures 6ft 9in – without high heels!
by Alison Smith-Squire, Sunday Mirror 24/07/2011
She might have to duck her head when she walks through a door.
But Britain’s tallest teenage girl likes towering over her friends.
Jessica Pardoe, 18, who is 6ft 9in in bare feet, said: “I’m really proud to be this tall. I don’t mind being a bit different. And it has so many advantages.
“I love going to music festivals and it’s great to be able to see over everyone’s heads.”
Since going to a festival this summer, art student Jessica is becoming a celebrity herself.
“Lots of people wanted me to pose for photos with them,” she says. Now a Facebook tribute page set up in her honour has more than 3,500 fans.
Jessica’s height runs in the family. Mum Lisa, 41, is just over 6ft and dad Andrew, 43, is 6ft 7in. Brother Niall, 17, is an inch taller than her at 6ft 10in, while stepbrothers Liam, eight, and Ethan, six, are 5ft and 4ft 8in.
Jessica weighed 8lb 10oz at birth and measured a long, but not unusual, 53cm from head to toe. But at 18 months she was much taller than other tots.
“Passers-by used to give me strange looks,” says Lisa. “I’m sure they believed she was too old to be in her pushchair.”
By the age of 11 Jessica was already 5ft 8in – 3in taller than the average British woman. “We think she has stopped growing now – she’s been the same height for 18 months,” says her mum.
She is perfectly healthy with a pair of stunning 38in legs, which she believes to be the longest in Britain, and size 11 feet.
“I adore my long legs but they cause problems buying clothes,” she says. “I can get away with wearing skirts and dresses as minis, but no high street trousers, jeans or shoes fit. I can get them online but they are much more expensive.” Jessica, from Wrexham, North Wales, says men don’t seem to mind that she’s two inches taller than lanky soccer star Peter Crouch. “I’m single now but I’ve had a few boyfriends and go on dates,” she says.
She sleeps curled up on her side so is happy with a standard size bed – but normal life does pose a few other problems.
On her first driving lesson she couldn’t fit in the car, while at cinema and public transport seats are a challenge.
She has been bullied over her height too. Mum Lisa says: “Some people shout unkind comments, but she takes it in her stride. I’ve always drummed it in to her that being tall is something to be proud of.
“She’s never stooped or hunched her shoulders and always walks tall.”
Helen Porter, of the Tall Persons’ Club of Great Britain, said: “At 6ft 9in this lady is exceptionally tall. I have checked our records and currently our tallest female member is 6ft 8in.
“We certainly believe she must be the tallest teenage girl in Britain.”
Daily Mail Story
Britain’s tallest girl: Jessica Pardoe, 18, can look down on Peter Crouch
By Alison Smith Squire
Many of her peers love nothing more than finishing off an outfit with a pair of vertiginous heels.
But at 6ft 9in – with size 11 feet – Jessica Pardoe doesn’t get to wear stilettos very often.
For Britain’s tallest teenage girl, shopping for shoes is more of a chore than a hobby.
‘I have to buy them from specialist shops on the internet,’ says 18-year-old Miss Pardoe. ‘I would love to be able to pop out and buy a cheap pair, but the minimum cost is around £50.’
Tailoring can also mean trouble, with the art and design student having a 38in inside leg.
‘I haven’t ever heard of any woman with longer legs than mine,’ she says. ‘Fortunately I can buy fashionable clothes online – although they are much more expensive.’
Despite these annoyances, Miss Pardoe doesn’t let her height get her down.
‘I’m really proud to be this tall,’ she stresses. ‘It does make me more noticeable, but I don’t mind being a bit different. And it has so many advantages.
‘I love going to music festivals, and it’s great to be able to see over everyone’s heads in a crowd.’
During one such event this month she was swamped with requests for photos and a Facebook page which was set up in her honour – titled ‘The 8 foot Girl At Wakestock 2011’ – has garnered almost 4,000 fans.
Her mother Lisa, 41, measures just over 6ft while father Andrew, 43, is two inches shorter than Miss Pardoe at 6ft 7in – the same height as England striker Peter Crouch. Their daughter appears to have stopped growing about 18 months ago.
Although she is ‘single right now’, Miss Pardoe claims that men ‘don’t seem to mind my height at all’, adding: ‘I have had a few boyfriends and go on dates.’
If she does need advice on coping with her size, there is one family member she can look up to. Little brother Niall, 17, is 6ft 10in.
Mother Lisa, an administrator, who is divorced, said: ‘When Jess was born she weighed 8Ib 10oz and measured a long but not unusual 53cms from head to toe. But by the time she was 18 months she was much taller than other girls of her age.
‘In fact, as she sat in her pushchair passers-by used to give me strange looks as I’m sure they believed she was too big to still be sat in it.’
Within weeks of starting secondary school Miss Pardoe had grown to 5ft 9 in – the same height as the average British man.
Her mum adds: ‘I expected Jess would be tall. After all, she has inherited both mine and Andrew’s genes. Then other relatives on both sides of the family are tall. Jess has an auntie who is 6ft 2in and an uncle who is 6ft 7in.
‘That said I never expected Jess would continue to keep growing as she did – and I never expected her to end up quite as tall as she is now.’
Meanwhile, the teenager says she is used to ducking when she walks through doorways. ‘I’ve got used to ensuring I don’t bump my head on low ceilings. And fortunately I sleep curled up on my side so am quite happy with a standard size bed.’
However, normal life does pose a few problems.
She explains: ‘I recently enrolled for driving lessons. But when I sat in the car I simply couldn’t fit my legs under the wheel. The driving instructor pushed the seat back as far as it would go but it was hopeless.
‘Luckily his nephew has a bigger car and with the seat pushed right back in that, eventually I fitted in.’
A spokeswoman for the Tall Person’s Club of Great Britain said last night they did not have a taller woman on their books.
Helen Porter said: ‘At 6ft 9in this lady is exceptionally tall. I have checked our records and currently our tallest female member is 6ft 8in. We certainly believe at that height she must be the tallest teenage girl in Britain.’
HEIGHT RECORD BREAKERS
- Thai Malee Duangdee measures 6ft 10in and is the tallest girl in the world – but her stature is due to a tumour on her pituitary gland which makes her produce too much growth hormone. Meanwhile, Marvadene Anderson, an American basketball player, is also 6ft 10in.
- Britain’s tallest family is believed to be the Van Neses – five of the family of six measure over 6ft.
- The world’s tallest man is Sultan Kosen. A tractor driver from Turkey he measures 8ft 1in – but again his great height was caused by a tumour on his pituitary gland.
- Emma Cahill previously held the record for being Britain’s tallest teen girl – she measured 6ft 51/2in at the age of 16.