This Morning regular Vanessa Feltz has been criticised for being ‘out of touch’ following comments on the show today.
Media personality Vanessa, 60, appeared on Monday’s (December 12) episode alongside fellow guest Gyles Brandreth.
And among the topics they discussed with hosts Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond during the current affairs segment was how the cost of living crisis is affecting mental health.
Vanessa Feltz appears on This Morning today
Guest Vanessa admitted it can be very worrying to be constantly bombarded with bad news.
She reflected: “It’s not surprising because the more you hear cost of living crisis, the more worried you get and the more it’s covered in the news.
“We’ve got 24 hour rolling news absolutely everywhere, people beaming into their phones every five seconds. You just can’t escape it.”
Vanessa went on: “Every time you hear it, you get more and more nervous, worried, panic-stricken, especially if you’re on a limited income and you don’t know what to do to increase it or you can’t increase it.
“It’s an incredibly nerve-racking thing.”
She also noted addressing the topic can also be difficult for someone in her position.
Vanessa added: “I’ve been worried about covering it on television programmes and the radio because I reckon if you can’t think of a constructive thing to say, maybe shut up about it for a bit, because it just panics people.”
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This Morning debate
At one point during the segment, Alison noted one in four children plan on forgoing pocket money due to the crisis.
But Vanessa’s response to that did not please many of those watching at home.
She said: “In a way, I’m not sure it’s the most terrible thing. I think it’s character building.
“And I also think children really do like to play a part and to help if you give them a chance.
Children really do like to play a part and to help if you give them a chance.
“I don’t think they really want to be put in a bubble and cocooned and told everything’s lovely when it’s not.”
Vanessa continued: “I think if they feel that they’re doing something for the family effort, it’s a great feeling for kids from about seven years old onwards, I would say.”
The King and Queen Consort have revealed their Christmas card, but does it compete with our very own @AlisonHammond & @radioleary‘s? 🎄 pic.twitter.com/Le9osbzzf6
— This Morning (@thismorning) December 12, 2022
How viewers reacted
Over on Twitter, ‘shocked’ viewers suggested they feel Vanessa is “out of touch”.
One person blasted her: “#thismorning Vanessa is so out of touch with reality I am actually in shock at that segment.”
Another upset observer fumed: “Actually disgusted as Vanessa calling the cost of living crisis ‘character building’. Choosing between eating or keeping warm is not character building! #thismorning.”
“Vanessa Feltz just described kids offering their own pocket money to help their parents struggling at Christmas as ‘character building’,” bristled someone else.
“Absolutely baffling and an embarrassing statement from someone who has clearly never suffered from poverty #ThisMorning.”
Read more: Vanessa Feltz: Who is her daughter? How many children does she have? How old is she?
This Morning airs on ITV, weekdays, from 10am.
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