Victoria Beckham parades 'show of skeletons' on the catwalk at NYFW

Despite having a frame so slender she was once dubbed ‘Skeletal Spice’, Victoria Beckham piously declared in 2010 that she was banning unhealthily thin models from her catwalk shows.

The 41-year-old has provoked a barrage of criticism, however, after seeming to backtrack on her promise and sending a slew of painfully skinny models down the runway at her show in New York on Sunday, which was attended by her husband David, 16-year-old son Brooklyn and American Vogue editor Anna Wintour.

Hundreds of Victoria’s 15 million-strong social media following made their feelings known to the designer, inundating her with messages about her choice of models.

Criticised: Victoria Beckham provoked a barrage of criticism after sending a slew of painfully skinny models down the runway at her show in New York, including 17-year-old Peyton Knight

Skinny fit: Despite using mostly slim models like Peyton, the 41-year-old mother-of-four claims her collection is 'for all shapes and sizes'

‘Another show of skeletons,’ one remarked, while another pointed out: ‘They don’t look healthy at all.’

Many commentators were particularly incensed by her decision to use scrawny-looking 17-year-old Peyton Knight to close the show. 

Knight, who was first signed to a model agency at the tender age of 11, is just one year older than the minimum age recommended for catwalk shows by the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

‘You need to feed this girl... Please give her some food,’ begged one, while another demanded furiously: ‘Jesus, why don’t you just get a motorised skeleton to walk down your catwalks and release these poor girls from this bloody torture of having to starve themselves for a job.’

Victoria pointedly ignored the critics, however, posing for a picture with the teen and thanking her on Instagram for closing the show.

It’s not the first time Beckham has been slammed for her choice in models, after casting a particularly frail-looking girl for one of her collections earlier this year.

Despite the criticism online, Beckham said after the show: ‘It’s a collection for all shapes and sizes — I always say it, but I just want women to feel like the best versions of themselves.’

Will Renee stay slim in new Bridget Jones?

Petite actress Renee Zellweger, who is back in London to film the third Bridget Jones movie, put on more than two stone to play the overweight singleton back in 2001, snacking on chocolate, crisps and sugary drinks.

So her fans will be intrigued to learn she was seen shopping (left) at an organic food store at the weekend.

Zellweger, 46, has admitted she worries about the side-effects such binge-eating had on her body, and was told putting on that much weight in short periods was bad for her health.

It led to speculation she might wear a ‘fat suit’ for her new film.

Now and then: Renee Zellweger, who is playing Bridget Jones once again, pictured right in the first film, may not be putting on weight for the third time according to reports

She has already been spotted attending editorial briefings at ITV’s Good Morning Britain, and its sister show, Lorraine, in preparation for her role.

It is thought the latest film will see her working with fictional trashy breakfast TV show Sit Up Britain, hence the research at ITV.

It’s a barking mad book deal. Andy Murray’s pet pooch Maggie May has been signed up to write How To Look After Your Human: A Dog’s Guide ‘with help from’ the tennis champ’s wife Kim Sears. 

Andy likes to Skype his mutts when he’s away and, judging from Maggie’s Twitter account, we can expect wise words such as: ‘Happiness is a dog in the sun with his frisbee.’