Something was missing from the famed British tabloid The Sun's risque Page 3 Monday- there were no bare breasts for the first time in 40 years.
The page received its fair share of public enjoyment and outrage over the years.
Robert Murdoch, who owns The Sun, announced in The Times, which he also owns, that Friday was the last time Page 3 was going to feature a topless women, calling the tabloid's tradition "old fashioned."
The Sun spokesman Dylan Sharpe also addressed the issue with a coy tweet:
Page 3 will be in @TheSunNewspaper tomorrow in the same place it's always been - between page 2 and page 4.
— Dylan Sharpe (@dylsharpe) January 19, 2015
Instead of a nude picture, Monday's issue of The Sun featured model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley posed in lingerie on Page 3.
For those disappointed by the disappearance of topless women in the tabloid, Murdoch told The Times that The Sun plans to continue posting topless models on page3.com.
Although the pictures will still appear online, many campaigners say the change was overdue.
"This is a long overdue decision and marks a small but significant step towards improving media portrayal of women and girls," Education secretary Nicky Morgan told The Guardian. "I very much hope it remains permanent."
