“I won’t tolerate people that think it’s okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance.”
Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay has hit back at a male DJ who referred to her as a “chubby little thing” live on air.
The 19-year-old daughter of TV chef Gordon Ramsay directly addressed LBC presenter Steve Allen on Instagram, blasting him for commenting on her appearance and reminding him how damaging remarks like this can be.
She shared an audio clip of the 67-year-old DJ, in which he reacted to the news that Tilly would be taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.
“Well, she can’t blimming well dance, I’m bored with her already,” he said.
“She’s a chubby little thing, isn’t she? Have you noticed? Probably her dad’s cooking, I should imagine.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/CVI_bh1ACIH/
In an emotional statement, Tilly wrote:
“I try not to read and listen to comments and negativity however recently being called out on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is a step too far.
“Steve, please feel free voice your opinions, however, I draw the line at commenting on my appearance.
“It’s such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.
“This isn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last comment made about my appearance and I accept that and I’m learning to accept myself.”
Tilly went on to say that while she’s been aware from a very young age that being in the public eye comes with repercussions, his words had hurt her.
“I won’t tolerate people that think it’s okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance,” she said.
Many took to the comment section to show their support for Tilly, including It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara, who wrote:
“How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone’s mental health.”