ITV Loose Women fans fume ‘get off the air!’ over Charlene White’s ‘disgraceful’ refusal to wear a poppy: ‘Disrespectful!’
Loose Women viewers were left up in arms on Tuesday afternoon after spotting that presenter Charlene White had decided against wearing a poppy.
The 45-year-old, who also regularly fronts the ITV News, was joined by Oti Mabuse, Judi Love, and Kelle Bryan to go over the day’s biggest headlines.
ITV Loose Women: Charlene White didn’t wear a poppy during Tuesday’s show
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However, despite there being plenty on the agenda for the team to go over, it seems ITV viewers at home were more distracted by Ms White’s poppy decision.
All three of her fellow panellists had opted for poppy pin badges as a sign of their respect ahead of Remembrance Day.
Ms White’s bright pink blazer was void of any symbolic gesture, however, a fact that prompted several at home to call for her removal.
On X, one Loose Women viewer slammed the decision: “Charlene shouldn’t be presenting as she doesn’t want to wear a poppy. No respect #loosewomen.”
ITV Loose Women: Charlene White was the only member of the panel who didn’t wear a poppy
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“#CharleneWhite #LooseWomen Why do you refuse to wear a Poppy? Every single person on the panel, in the audience, are wearing one, so why not you?” a second asked.
“Charlene, wear a poppy or get off the air. Show some respect #LooseWomen,” a third fumed before a fourth weighed in: “I don’t know why ITV books Charlene White at this time of year when she refuses to wear a poppy! #LooseWomen.”
Elsewhere, a fifth questioned: “Does Charlene not care that many men lost their lives fighting for our country? The disrespect of her not wearing a poppy is disgraceful #LooseWomen.”
And another echoed: “#LooseWomen I do think it’s disrespectful for Charlene not to wear a poppy. I know it gets mentioned every year.. It’s come around quick again!”
ITV Loose Women: Oti Mabuse wore a poppy pin badge
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“Why isn’t @CharleneWhite wearing a poppy?!” a seventh queried. “Everyone else on @loosewomen panel is!!! Disgraceful!!”
And another outraged viewer weighed in: “@Loosewomen no poppy on @CharleneWhite. Total disgrace to the memory of those who gave their lives for our future.” (sic)
However, there were some who jumped to Ms White’s defence. “Oops the poppy police are out again,” one viewer mocked before a second hit back: “In a democracy, you are supposed to be free to have your own views and opinions, not what the poppy police say you should do.”
Ms White didn’t address the decision not to wear a poppy on the show, but it is a choice that she has publicly acknowledged before.
ITV Loose Women: Judi Love also showed her support
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Writing in an article for ITV last year, Ms White explained that the decision not to wear a poppy on-screen stems from impartiality rules regarding her other charity work.
The newsreader admitted it was “never an easy decision due to the racist and sexist abuse” that she says occurs on social media, and acknowledged that it “provokes a lot of debate and anger”.
Ms White revealed that broadcasting rules mean she isn’t allowed to visually support charities while presenting news programmes.
After she reeled off a handful of charitable organisations she’s a patron of but cannot support on-screen, she explained that it therefore makes her “feel uncomfortable supporting just one charity above all others, namely The Royal British Legion”.
ITV Loose Women: Kelle Bryan
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The Loose Women star clarified that she “fully supports colleagues who do choose to wear the poppy on screen” and in her private life, “it’s very different”.
Ms White revealed she donates to the British Legion each year, wears a poppy on Armistice Day, and has “one of the ceramic poppies from the Tower of London on my mantelpiece”.
In her piece, Ms White urged: “Please don’t think that I don’t support the work that our service personnel do, or that I don’t understand the sacrifices made by servicemen and women 100 years ago. I do.”
She added: “It is always important to remember what my family, your family, and millions of people over many generations have fought for: the right to choose, and the right of freedom of speech and expression.”
