A former head teacher has revealed how her love of naturism ended her career after she was 'outed by a busybody'.

Christine appears in Channel 4's documentary The Great British Skinny dip, on which she reveals how her private hobby suddenly became public knowledge after someone contacted her employers to 'hurt' her.

Christine Wright, 60, refused to give up her love of naturism and was forced to take early retirement.

Defending her passion for naturism in tonight's show, Christine said many people have the wrong idea about it - with some even believing it has links to paedophiles.

The programme also follows British Naturism's marketing director Andrew Welch and his girlfriend Sheryn who now enjoys discarding her garments. She said her boyfriend had made her realise: 'I don't need to hide behind clothes.'

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Ex-headmistress Christine is among the naturists to defend their hobby on the Channel 4 show

Christine, whose career came to an end when people found out she was a naturist, says her passion is misunderstood

The Channel 4 show The Great British Skinny Dip follows the country's naturist community

All my life I’ve kept my private life private, because most teachers do,' she tells the camera.

'You can come under suspicion if they knew that I took my clothes off. There are some that think if you’re a naturist you must be a paedophile.

'I never spoke about it at work but some busybody outed me. They rang up my employers and told them I was a naturist, to hurt me.

'It ended with me taking early retirement, I am not going to change who I am.'

British Naturism marketing director Andrew Welch is a long time follower of naturism but his new girlfriend Sheryn has a few things to learn

Naturist Andrew is seen taking a dip - minus trunks - on the Channel 4 documentary tonight

Christine is now out and proud, and spends her spare time helping the British Naturism campaign to recruit new members. The documentary follows their attempts to attract people to a public skinny dip.

She says she believes that naturism is misunderstood, adding: 'Sometimes I think we’re in the same position the gay community were in 20 years ago.

'In that although there was nothing unlawful about it, there are some people that think it’s not very nice, and those people that although they’re in a minority they seem to shout louder than the tolerant people that are around.'

Christine is helping British Naturism marketing director Andrew Welch, 51, of Cambridgeshire, to launch his multi-location skinny dip and scouts out locations in her local area.

Christine works with Andrew as a location scout, identifying spots ideal for skinny dipping

The former headmistress says skinny dipping is a 'lovely, joyful' thing to do

She heads up to one of her favourite spots in the Lake District and recalls a moment 20 years ago a group of Scouts happened upon her bathing in a pool in a valley.

'One of them shouted "there is a naked woman in our pool". And the scoutmaster said "you don’t mind do you?" and they all got undressed and got in together.

'But that wouldn’t happen now, there’s so much hysteria safeguarding now that if you’re an adult in charge of children you certainly couldn’t do it and I think that’s a shame.

'I want to share it, I think it’s a lovely, joyful thing to do and I want more people to share it. It’s the most beautiful feeling being there in nature, naked as nature intended.'

Andrew, who is paid to promote social nudity, echoes a similar sentiment saying: 'Why are we embarrassed at all? When did that happen, when did the world change so much that something about the body we were born with became embarrassing? – Andrew

‘We talk about our private parts, why are those any more private than your nose or your elbow?'

And after 10 years a single naturist, he welcomed his new girlfriend Sheryn into the fold and has managed to convert her into a part-time naturist.

Wary at first about shedding her clothes, she now finds it liberating and said of her boyfriend: 'I had a poor self-image probably most of my life - then I met Andrew.

'That was the best thing of all. He is so confident in his own skin. He, for the first time in my life, made me feel beautiful. I feel like I don’t need to hide behind clothes, that probably is why today is happening.'

The Great British Skinny Dip airs tonight on Channel 4 at 10pm