GRAND BAN
Stacey Solomon says Formula One grid girls have been ‘thrown away like they’re nothing’ as she locks horns with Janet Street-Porter in debate over banning them
STACEY Solomon hit out at Janet Street-Porter today and said Formula 1 grid girls have been “thrown away like they’re nothing” after they were banned from the sport.
The Loose Women panel were discussing whether it’s fair the glamorous models have been axed from F1 just days after walk off girls were kicked off the darts, with Stacey ,28, fighting their corner and stating they’ve been “punished”.
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She said: “I feel like these women are being punished for doing something that they really enjoy.”
When Ruth Langsford told her that they’d been gotten rid of because they are “not in keeping with the brand”, Stacey pointed out the unfairness of it.
She fumed: “What about the poor girls? So they will use the semi-naked females to promote their brand and then just throw them away like they’re nothing.”
This led to Janet, 71, wading in asking: “What skills do you need to do for that job apart from looking fantastic?”
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“Who cares if you enjoy it?” replied Stacey.
Janet went on: “You could say it’s a very discriminatory job, as a lot of women wouldn’t qualify. They’re there just to be leered at – holding an umbrella? What skills do you need for that?”
To which Stacey passionately told her: “But they want to do that!”
Highlighting the inequality, Janet continued: “There are some women racing drivers at the highest level and we have a world champion female boxer, why should exposing flesh be part of a sporting activity? It’s a highly skilled thing, so why does it have to be sold to the audience like this?”
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Stacey reasoned: “It’s not a problem of objectifying women, I can see where you are coming from, the problem for me is that this company had no issue of inviting these women in and giving them the job.”
Janet tried to dismiss the skills needed for the job once more: “I’m driving my racing car and the woman meets me with an umbrella, what skill is needed for that job?”
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However Stacey said she was missing the point.
“But what if they love doing that? What if they’re into the sport and that’s what they want to do?”
“They’re into the sport?,” snorted Janet.
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“What if they are?” she said. “What if they want to travel and they want to be sexy and they want to show their body?
Ruth reminded Janet that Katie Price, Melinda Messenger and Kelly Brook have all carved successful careers following grid girl stints, but she didn’t seem to care.
She also doesn’t like seeing men’s bodies either, stating: “I personally find the image of David Beckham in his pants undignified.”
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