TV

Janet Street-Porter receives backlash after “insensitive” comment

Loose Women viewers were shocked

On today’s Loose Women, panelist Janet Street-Porter made an ill-judged comment in relation to self-harm which sent viewers into meltdown.

Although she obviously didn’t mean to cause offence to people when she said it, viewers lashed out at her and said ‘she should apologise’.

Janet was innocently talking about the stresses of putting up a Christmas tree, when she made the offensive comment.

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She said: “Last year I did something for the first time.

“It wasn’t have sex in December or anything like that.”

She continued: “I actually put up a Christmas tree that came in 57 pieces and it took two and a half hours.

“And I quite honestly would rather slash my wrists.”

Loose Women viewers were outraged by her remark and took to Twitter to express their disgust.

One viewer said: “Very disgusted and sickened at the ‘slashing wrists’ comment. Extremely insensitive!”

Another tweeted: “Janet should apologise for saying something so insensitively.”

A third outraged viewer said: “Very distasteful comment from Janet about self-harm. It’s rude, and upsetting.”

A fourth said: “Think b’fore you speak. Its not funny! Was that necessary? Self harm is no joke! Bad example ladies.”

Also on Loose Women, Linda Nolan continued to talk about her battle with terminal cancer as she has recently been diagnosed with the disease again.

Linda had previously been diagnosed with cancer in 2006, the same time her husband Brian was suffering from skin cancer. He later died in 2007.

On yesterday’s show her sister Coleen broke down after watching a video where Linda opened up about her feelings amidst the horrible diagnosis.

Coleen, who lost sister Bernie Nolan to the disease in 2013, had to tell viewers of Loose Women back in April about Linda’s diagnosis, and yesterday Coleen was visibly upset as she watched a short clip from her big sister’s video diary.

As Coleen sat there watching, Linda revealed how sometimes she felt a little bit sorry for herself because she can’t do a lot of the things she used to, like get up and dance.

The singer revealed: “You think oh my life is surrounded by cancer. My life belongs to cancer at the moment, although I don’t mean that to sound like I feel like I’m a victim.

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“This illness has no friends, it doesn’t have any favourites. I don’t think we’ve ever really thought we’re cursed really, you know, maybe unlucky.”

As the camera panned back to an upset Coleen, her co–host, Strictly Come Dancing contestant Ruth Langsford, asked her if she had any idea her sister felt like that.

Coleen replied, “No,” and was comforted by the rest of the panel that included Denise Van Outen and Stacey Solomon.


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor