Liverpool flop's jaw-dropping wife opens up on TV career – 'did it help being beautiful'

Diletta Leotta has opened up about the link between her gorgeous looks and her sports presenting job.

The 34-year-old, who is a presenter for DAZN and is the better half of former Liverpool and Newcastle United goalkeeper Loris Karius - now playing for German side Schalke after his infamous spell at Anfield including his Champions League final calamity in 2018 - spoke candidly about her TV career.

Diletta has 9.2million followers on Instagram, and her eye-catching looks and outfits go hand-in-hand with her presenting skills on Serie A, and previously the Club World Cup. Diletta studied law in Rome and graduated in 2015 before she entered the broadcasting world.

Speaking to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Diletta said: "Is it more difficult for women in football? DAZN has always valued the role of women. Both in front of and behind the camera. We are a family where talent has a voice – regardless of gender.

"We live in a perfect world, but a little competition is normal. So many female journalists and presenters are good and talented. But please don't force me to judge them."

Diletta has been criticised for her racy outfit choices in the past, including a major fiasco over a see-through dress she wore to her daughter’s birthday party.

She admitted that her image is key to her job, but not the most vital, saying: "Did being beautiful help me? Image is important, but preparation and the ability to cover events are even more important. Love for my work and professionalism have always been important to me."

Diletta had previously hit back at her critics, who slammed her for her outfit choices and questioned her integrity in her job.

She previously told the publication: "Of course I feel it [people being obsessed with aesthetics]. But I feel part of a shift in the perception of women as presenters and journalists, which I think is finally taking hold.

"In this sense, I have to say I'm lucky to work with DAZN, because here they manage to emphasise competence, valorising talent regardless of whether you're a woman or a man.

"It's clear that image is part of our job, especially for those in television, but if you turn out to be a container without substance, you won't get very far.

"Even today, I study, I prepare, I try to stay up to date: that's the key. Also, a nice dress is a pleasure to wear; being well-groomed, pretty, and pleasant to look at, I think, is also a matter of respect for the viewer, but I think that applies in any work environment.

"Envy isn't a concept I'm familiar with, but I don't know if it's a personality issue or if it's because I grew up in a family full of women, with a mother who was always there for me and never passed this kind of feeling on to us children.

"On the contrary, I remember rejoicing in my sisters, brothers, and friends. I admired my brothers, who are all older than me, and I thought, "Wow, they did it, I want to do it too."

"My brother has a degree in medicine, my sisters in law and architecture: for me, they were a motivation. I deeply love and appreciate women and men who achieve their goals; I think they can only be a source of inspiration.

"The problem is that we live in the age of social media, which is full of not-so-great comments. The problem is that maybe those people who write those comments are the same ones who actually ask you for a photo or a greeting."