Kate Winslet breaks down as she opens up on body-shaming comments from presenter

Despite crediting Titanic as having launched her into the realm of the world's most sought-after stars, Kate Winslet says the role also dealt her a brutal lesson about the reality of body-shaming.

Looking back on her illustrious career while speaking to press this week, the British actress broke down in tears when recalling the image-based torment that she was subjected to in her younger years.

Winslet was just 20 when she was cast in Titanic (Paramount Pictures/20th Century Fox)

Winslet was 20 years old when she was cast alongside Hollywood legend Leonardo DiCaprio in the dramatised historical flick.

Despite having previously acquired supporting roles in several box office successes - including psychological thriller Heavenly Creatures and period drama Sense and Sensibility -, Titanic garnered her worldwide recognition.

Director James Cameron's tear-jerking blockbuster bagged a staggering 11 Academy Awards, with lead actress Winslet receiving Oscar, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild nominations for her role.

The role lead Winslet on to further, equally impressive parts in both movies and television, but she has since claimed that being sky-rocketed into the spotlight to such an extreme degree had its downsides.

She revealed that she was subjected to relentless commentary about her appearance.

And during a sit down with 60 Minutes this week, the 49-year-old even broke down in tears after being shown a video of several reporters discussing her weight on the red carpet.

The actress broke down in tears when recalling the abuse she endured (60 Minutes/YouTube)

The clip heard an on-air E! News host telling another member of the crowd that Winslet looked 'a little melted and poured into' the gown she'd chosen for the 1998 Golden Globes.

The speaker also added that the actress 'needed two sizes larger and she'd be okay'.

After being shown the video this week, the mother-of-three became teary, telling viewers: "It’s absolutely appalling."

She went on to ask: "What kind of a person must they be to do something like that to a young actress who’s just trying to figure it out?"

Asked if she ever confronted paparazzi and members of the press over their hurtful remarks, Winslet confessed to going 'face to face' with a handful of them.

"I let them have it. I said, ‘I hope this haunts you'," she recalled.

This isn't the first time that Winslet used her platform and her own experience to stand up against body-shaming.

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast back in 2022, she said comments about her figure tainted Titanic's success.

Winslet and DiCaprio at the 1998 Golden Globes (Jim Smeal/Contributor/Getty)

She told host Fearne Cotton: "Apparently I was too fat. Why were they so mean to me? They were so mean. I wasn’t even f**king fat."

Winslet went on to claim: "I would have said to journalists, I would have responded, I would have said, 'Don’t you dare treat me like this. I’m a young woman, my body is changing, I’m figuring it out, I’m deeply insecure, I’m terrified, don’t make this any harder than it already is.'"

She added: "That’s bullying, you know, and actually borderline abusive, I would say."