Why We Should Be Celebrating Women, Not Shaming Them

It's one thing for a newspaper to review a television show; it's another thing entirely to illustrate that story by dedicating an entire page to dated and unflattering photos of its female host.

This morning, a major daily newspaper devoted an entire page to the "off-duty style" of TV presenter Samantha Armytage. The story was ostensibly about the show she presents, Bringing Sexy Back. In reality, it was little more than an opportunity to run a series of unflattering photos of Samantha.

Samantha Armytage. Photo: Getty Images

Little matter that some of the photos dated back to 2011. Or that they were clearly the most unflattering images the (unnamed) author could find. What's most disappointing about the story is that it's difficult to imagine a male TV host facing the same treatment.

How often do male TV presenters open a newspaper only to find themselves confronted by a montage of old photos of themselves? How often do male TV presenters have to deal with their supposed stylistic and physical flaws being meticulously dissected and highlighted in the media?

Samantha, to her credit, is very down-to-earth and, like any other TV presenter, does what's needed to do a good job. In morning TV, that means presenting herself in the best possible way - and to look that good involves an army of hair and make-up people. That's part of her job. She - understandably - does not apply the same high-maintenance routine to her personal life.

Samantha is likeable, relatable, clever and normal. That's part of the reason she's been so successful. But with that normality presumably comes the same normal insecurities that many woman have. Every single woman I know - from supermodels I've worked with to my own friends - carries with them some level of insecurity about their body.

I'm sure this unflattering and unfair story is weighing on Samantha just as heavily as it would on any woman.

I remember being on the soccer field once and a father coming up to me and saying, "You have the same name as the woman at marie claire". I said, "I am the woman from marie claire."

He looked me up and down - I was wearing trackpants, Ugg boots and had my hair scraped back - and he said, "No, you're not."

That was humiliating enough and that was a private conversation. As a TV presenter Samantha is expected to look camera-ready when she's at work - not 24/7.

I see this as an opportunistic, personal and sexist attack on Samantha. Whether you like her or don't like her, you should feel outraged at the way she has been treated.

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