Ofcom CLEARS LBC radio host Steve Allen of breaching broadcasting standards after he called Gordon Ramsay’s Strictly star daughter Tilly a ‘chubby little thing’ – TH
Ofcom CLEARS LBC radio host Steve Allen of breaching broadcasting standards after he called Gordon Ramsay’s Strictly star daughter Tilly a ‘chubby little thing’
Tilly responded that she would not tolerate people commenting on her appearance, although faced a backlash when fans pointed out multiple times her father had fat shamed people.
Ofcom assessed the comments, which were broadcast on October 18, after complaints Mr Allen had breached ‘generally accepted standards’.
Tilly Ramsay, 20, (pictured) condemned fat shaming on her social media after the Strictly contestant was called a ‘chubby little thing’ by LBC DJ Steve Allen
Steve Allen, 67, (pictured) reportedly apologised to Tilly Ramsay over his comments that she was a ‘chubby little thing’
However, it said it would not launch a formal investigation because the remarks were brief and listeners to Allen’s show were used to him being ‘provocative’.
The watchdog acknowledged Allen’s remarks could have had a detrimental impact on Tilly’s mental health and said they provided guidance to the radio station.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: ‘We have provided guidance to LBC to take greater care in future.
‘Given societal concerns about body image pressures on young people, the presenter’s criticism of a young woman’s appearance could have led to an adverse effect on wellbeing and mental health.
‘But given the brevity of the comments and the likely audience’s expectations of this provocative presenter and programme, we will not be pursuing further.’
Tilly and her partner Nikita Kuzmin was eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing before the quarter-final stage
Tilly Ramsay during the first dress run for Strictly Come Dancing. There are calls for the DJ who insulted her weight to resign
Ofcom acknowledged Allen’s remarks could have had a detrimental impact on Tilly’s mental health and said they provided guidance to the radio station. Pictured: Steve Allen in a KFC jacket
Mr Allen made the comments after being told Tilly had also taken part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.
He said: ‘Tilly Ramsay is on Celebrity MasterChef Australia, is she?
‘Well she can’t blooming well dance, I’m bored with her already.
‘She’s a chubby little thing, isn’t she? Have you noticed? Probably her dad’s cooking I should imagine.’
In her response, 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 to voice your opinions, however, I draw the line at commenting on my appearance.
Ramsay and his daughter Tilly are close. He frequently features on the 20-year-old’s TikTok channel
‘It’s such a shame that someone is trying to make such a positive experience negative.
‘I won’t tolerate people that think it’s okay to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance.’
Gordon Ramsay spoke of his pride in the way she had dealt with the controversy.
He said: ‘It made me feel very proud that she stood up and said, ‘I’m not taking this.’
‘I think it was a breath of fresh air, saying, “We’re not going to tolerate that.”‘
Allen is thought to have apologised privately to Tilly, who was eliminated from Strictly Come Dancing before the quarter-final stage.
