Radio host Steve Allen has reportedly apologised to Tilly Ramsay over his comments that she was a ‘chubby little thing’
Radio host Steve Allen has sent a private apology to Strictly Come Dancing contestant Tilly Ramsay after describing her as a ‘chubby little thing’ live on air.
Allen, 67, faced criticism after saying on LBC radio that he was ‘bored’ with the 19-year-old’s performances on the BBC show and her physical appearance was probably to do with ‘her dad’s cooking’.
CBBC presenter Ramsay, daughter of celebrity chef Gordon, hit back on social media, saying she ‘won’t tolerate people that think it’s OK to publicly comment and scrutinise anyone’s weight and appearance’.
Allen contacted her earlier this week to issue an apology, the PA news agency understands.
News of the apology comes just days after LBC bosses stood by their presenter despite Allen facing calls to quit and said there were no plans at this stage for an investigation into his comments.
On his radio show, Allen had read out a comment from a listener telling him the teenager is taking part in Celebrity MasterChef Australia.
He replied: ‘Is she? Well, she can’t blimming 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.’
Tilly Ramsay, pictured with her partner Nikita Kuzmin on Saturday’s show, said she had endured a ‘difficult week of training’ following comments made by radio DJ Steve Allen
Former Love Island star Dr Alex George, who was appointed a youth mental health ambassador for the Government earlier this year, criticised his comments.
Ramsay secured third place on the leader board with her latest performance on Strictly
He shared a screenshot of an email he sent to LBC about the incident on Instagram and said he was ‘absolutely horrified’ by the remarks.
Ramsay was also inundated with support from her Strictly co-stars, with It Takes Two presenter Janette Manrara writing: ‘How fast we forget what hurtful comments can do for someone’s mental health.’
Saturday’s episode of Strictly saw Ramsay secure third place on the leader board with 36 points.
After her dance, she spoke of her joy after a ‘difficult week of training’.
Taking to social media, Miss Ramsay, 19, said she would not tolerate those who criticise her weight.
‘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,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘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… but please remember that words can hurt.’
After his initial comments, there were calls from industry insiders for Allen to go.
One source told The Sun: ‘Steve’s outdated and archaic comments have been allowed to continue for far too long and plenty of people want him out.
‘There’s free speech and then there is calling a teenage girl fat live on the radio. Plenty of people think it’s time he was given his marching orders because this isn’t the first time he’s made unacceptable comments on air and hasn’t been reprimanded.
‘He should issue an apology at the least – but people want him gone. He’s bringing the reputation of the station down.’
An insider told MailOnline that while there are some within LBC who called for Allen to quit because they see him as a ‘dinosaur’, others wanted him to stay.
The insider added that Allen ‘gets on well’ with LBC hosts Eddie Mair and Nick Ferrari and was ‘well thought of in the industry’ by breakfast presenters on other stations.
Talking about who may want Allen out, the industry insider told MailOnline it would be those at LBC who are ‘slightly more progressive, and they may regard Steve as a dinosaur’.
The insider continued: ‘I think that there’s always been this suggestion that because he’s been there 20 years that he’s a bit of a dinosaur and he’s had his day and there’s been a number of Ofcom complaints about him.
‘But there was dissatisfaction with Nigel Farage when he was on LBC and that was from the James O’Brien stable. But I’m not sure if this falls into the same category.
‘I’m not particularly a fan but I know he has a massive following and if he were to disappear from the airwaves I think there’d be quite an outcry.’
He added that there was a possibility Allen could retire soon, saying: ‘That might probably be the outcome and I was thinking this morning maybe there’s a conversation going on saying ‘Steve, you’re in your 60s, perhaps it’s time to go and hit the beach’ – maybe that conversation is taking place.’
The insider continued: ‘I think everyone’s tolerated him, but I think the moment something like this happens people draw up battle lines.
‘A lot of breakfast show presenters listen to Steve Allen on their way to work because they think he’s a good presenter, he’s well thought of in the industry.’
Neither LBC nor Ofcom have confirmed whether any complaints have been made, with an Ofcom spokesman telling MailOnline: ‘We are assessing the complaints against our broadcasting rules, but are yet to decide whether or not to investigate.’
News of the apology comes days after LBC bosses stood by Allen despite calls for him to quit
On the issue of whether Allen’s comments would fall foul of Ofcom, the insider said it was not clear whether it was ‘offensive’.
He said: ‘They have to balance freedom of expression with causing offensive, and I’m not sure that ‘chubby’ is one of the prohibited words. And even if it is, within a broadcasting code there is 2.1 which is called ‘generally accepted standards’.
‘It’s their catch all, so if there’s a lot of complaints they will judge it by that standard – so I’m not sure this would be upheld by Ofcom. People are allowed to offend other people, it’s not against the broadcasting code.’