IN this day and age, it’s completely outrageous that professional young women should be denied the chance to earn a reputable living.
These feminists seem to be taking away women’s rights, not supporting them.
Axing walk-on girls means you’re not allowing them to make decisions themselves.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Act which allowed some women in the UK the right to vote.
We fought hard for women to make their own choices. Surely this isn’t what we were aiming for?
It’s probably not even occurred to these PC campaigners that the women might actually like the work.
I know for a fact they do. I’ve been flooded with messages from them, saying: “We’re really upset we’ve lost our jobs. Thanks so much for speaking out.”
One feminist claims it demeans women, but these walk-on girls are intelligent women — a lot are probably trying to pay for their college or university education.
There are huge pressures on women to work. We can’t expect them to do that, then take their jobs away. It’s an absolute shambles.
We’re not in Victorian times. It’s not like they’re walking out naked. They are dressed smartly. What’s demeaning about that?
I didn’t know what I wanted to do after leaving school. My mum said: “You need to go out and work.”
So at 18, I started as a glamour model and one of my biggest contracts was as a Formula One flag girl. It was an amazing opportunity to see the world and my family were really proud.
Not once was I manhandled or taken advantage of. I was treated well and stayed in lovely hotels.
It wasn’t just “standing and smiling”. You’re there to promote the sport.
It changed my life. Here I was, a working-class girl from Kent, with my picture in the papers and mixing with the likes of international athletes and Prince Albert of Monaco, who once offered me a lift home.
It funded my first flat and led to a 20-year career spanning modelling, TV presenting and acting.
I’m proud of those jobs but I’ve come up against my fair share of snobbery.
My old headmaster saw pictures of me modelling lingerie and used me as an example of what not to do.
But when I landed a job presenting The Big Breakfast on Channel Four at 19, he invited me back to do a talk. I didn’t take up his offer.
Trying to make the transition from model to TV presenter was difficult. People were quick to make assumptions – that if I was a model I couldn’t have a brain.
When a presenter stumbles over their words, it’s endearing. But when a bikini model does it, it’s different. There’s a stigma attached.
The Women’s Sports Trust are now putting pressure on other sports, such as boxing and F1.
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If they don’t like it, surely they don’t have to watch?
Posing for Playboy has been one of my highlights but they’ll probably want to ban that next, as well as calendars like mine.
I’ll let you into a secret — most of the calendars I sell are to women who buy them for their husbands or partners. Women love to see other women look beautiful.
It’s OK to be sexy and have people look twice at you. Once that’s taken away we’ll just be robots.
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