The Chase's Anne Hegerty branded 'transphobic'
 

Thoughts on this?


The Chase's Anne Hegerty branded 'transphobic' after toe-curling spat

THE Governess, who appeared in The Wright Stuff yesterday, landed herself in hot water when she made a controversial comment.

Viewers of the Channel 5 show were left fuming after it appeared Anne Hegerty, who made herself a household name on ITV's The Chase, made a barbed comment towards fellow panellist, transgender campaigner Paris Lees.

During a heated debate on the show, chaired by Matthew Wright, the pair went head-to-head over the existence of the gender pay gap.

Former journalist Anne, 59, said she believed that if women wanted leadership roles "they should be the ones going out and getting them".

"I don't believe there's a group of men saying there's too many women on panels."

Paris, however, questioned Anne's beliefs, asking: "So you don't believe there's an old boys club at the top?"

Anne shot back: "Well, you used to be a boy, you would know."

Her comment was followed by a frosty silence in the studio, as the debate swiftly moved on.

Viewers flocked to Twitter to call out Anne, who has earned the nickname "Frosty Knickers" for her cold demeanour from Bradley Walsh, over her offensive comment.

"It was transphobic of Anne to throw Paris's born gender in her face like that. She also did it to shut her up. It was rude," slammed one viewer.

"Wow, that was disgusting," said another.

"Anne Hegerty's put-down of Paris really shocked me. I am really surprised everyone just took it?" a third tweeted.

A fourth said: "I am appalled by Anne's off the cuff crass remark. Well done for rising above it, Paris."

Paris told the Sun after the incident: "I was so shocked, I was processing it. I didn't make a big deal out if it. I love the show and Matthew, and I;m sure Anne didn't mean to be malicious.

"I hope she didn't mean it to come across the way it did."

A rep for Anne has ben contacted for comment.

I think she was right. We cant deny our past ever existed :shrug:

I saw that yesterday, I thought Anne was joking,It didn't come across as malicious to me,maybe I missed something:shrug:

If you watch the video and it does come across as quite rude tbf, I was of the opinion before watching the video that it was probably relevant to what they were discussing and it is relevant in a way but the way she said it seemed more snappy and not matter fact or a point in her argument. Regardless though I don't think she should be dropped from the show for stating a fact either

It's not really a fact though, because it was a whole statement not just "you used to be a boy".

Saying "you used to be a boy so you should know" is obviously not "a fact"... It's utter nonsense... It doesn't even make sense. "You used to be male so you should be an expert on patriarchy!" :umm2:

So basically, transphobic or not, it is 100% strawman and clearly intended to be cutting / offensive, rather than having anything to do with what was being debated.

Well yeah that's basically what I said in my post though :suspect: The part of the what she said that caused offense was the You used to be a boy bit and that is a fact.

Is it any worse than bradley walshs nickname for her?

She said "used to be a boy", not "you're really a man". Obviously having been a probably somewhat effeminate boy before transition doesn't make Paris an expert on the "patriarchy" so it's a bit null, but she was a boy.

It’s worth pointing out I think that she has aspergers, so probably does have moments where she’s unnecessarily blunt in life.

It's the sort of off the cuff blunt comment she comes out with on the Chase, storm in a teacup

She is entitled to her opinions. It isn't for anyone to PC her.

:laugh2: mess

I dont think she would have meant it in that way though

Just a misjudged off the cuff remark. Not trying to sound like the annoying anti-PC brigade but people need to stop looking for things to be offended by.

India to go on The Chase Celebrity and scalp ha?

Well yes, but that's only relevant if we're saying that "anything true is fine" and no one should be fired from a show for saying anything so long as it's true.

I mean, I can't imagine that someone who said "You are fat and have a huge nose and your breath smells like actual dog ****" to a guest would get to keep their job just because all of those things happened to be factually accurate :think:.

Basically I think if someone says something with the obvious INTENT of causing upset, then it doesn't really matter whether or not it's "just a fact". In fact, often it's worse if it IS the truth.

Tl;Dr preying on someone's insecurities to deliberately upset them isn't OK just because the thing they're insecure about is true.

We still love her

"You used to be a boy" is the sort of blatant fact that Aspergers people will just come out with though. I doubt it would have even occured to Anne that she was being offensive tbh

Its got nothing to do with PC and all to do with trying to publicly embarrass someone and put them down in front of a wide audience.

Similar comments that would hurt someone:
"You should know, you used to be a slut"
"You should know, you have a criminal record"
"You should know, your'e only a cleaner"

Making comments or holding back on comments like like that aren't about PC, they are about being kind or unkind. A kind person simply wouldn't have made a comment like that.

fair enough, I see your point.

Like rob says, she has aspergers, are you saying there are no kind aspergers sufferers out there?

It was rude and pretty unnecessary.

But Ann is Autistic, and as such is likely to have issues understanding the way we are supposed to effectively LIE when it comes to transpeople :shrug:

And Paris did grown up as a boy.

If she has Aspergers then I'm not surprised she made a comment like that.

And people have the right to question her on her opinions.

What a ridiculous reach.

Anne doesn't represent everyone with Aspergers and guess what? People with Aspergers can be arseholes regardless of their condition. She didn't say it as a blunt fact, she said it to be rude because she was losing the argument

That being said, I don't think what she said was particularly transphobic, she was being an arsehole but I wouldn't say she's transphobic just based on that.

"Anne shot back: "Well, you used to be a boy, you would know."

Her comment was followed by a frosty silence in the studio, as the debate swiftly moved on."


Yes it was a nasty response
I thought Matt Wright
would say something.


Anne Hegerty
has autism etc.
It was a feature on another day when she was on.


Today's show at 10:24AM
Guest Presenter Ann Diamond
pointed out the comment
and said Sorry.