Harry Redknapp was crowned King of the Jungle / Photo Credit: ITV
Harry Redknapp was crowned King of the Jungle / Photo Credit: ITV

71-year-old Harry Redknapp may have been crowned the 2018 King of the Jungle following an incredible series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, but less than 24 hours after leaving the competition, the former football manager has tainted his win with sexist comments about runner-up Emily Atack.

Speaking on today's (December 10) edition of Good Morning Britain with hosts Piers Morgan and Kate Garraway, Harry was asked whether he'd be getting Emily to meet his son Jamie Redknapp following her admission that she had a crush on the retired footballer.

It was at this point that Harry shocked those watching, when he replied: "I'll be honest, when I saw her in the jungle I thought 'no chance', but I've seen her today when she's scrubbed up and she looks alright I'm telling ya."

He added that after seeing her glammed up, he thought she looked "fantastic" and "very useful". That latter comment in particular is a very unusual one...

Kate did attempt to pull Harry up on the comments, but to no avail.

Emily has been incredibly upfront and honest about her insecurities with the way she looks, saying at the start of the series that she was somebody who struggled with the idea of allowing millions of viewers across the UK the opportunity to see her completely natural; without makeup, hair product and the like.

Emily Atack / Photo Credit: ITV
Emily Atack / Photo Credit: ITV

During her interview with I'm A Celeb hosts Dec Donnelly and Holly Willoughby in last night's (December 9) final, Emily sat next to Harry and said that the jungle experience had "changed my life in so many ways."

She continued: "This place has given me such self-acceptance. I worry about things constantly. I've learned to accept who I am. This is my skin, my hair, this is what I look like."

"Coming here I realised I don't need to be anything other than myself; I've been stripped bare here and not a single person has judged a bone in my body," Emily said.

After going through such a journey, and finding inner peace and acceptance with the way she looks, we can't imagine that Harry's comments won't cut a little, whether said in jovial spirits or not.

Still, when she appeared on Lorraine to chat about her time on I'm A Celeb, Emily laughed off the remarks and poked fun at herself, saying: "I am sure if he [Jamie] had seen me in action over the last few weeks he might not be up for it. But I've got my makeup on now, so he might be!"

Harry certainly has age on his side when it comes to saying this sort of thing. There are those who will defend him and point out that the comments are "generational", which is of course true, but doesn't make them right, funny, or any less sexist.

Fortunately, comments across social media and the like should reassure Emily that she looks fantastic whether she chooses to wear makeup or not. She has won such support from the British public after baring her soul and we hope that her confidence continues to rise as she grows older and wiser.

She is a fantastic role model for other young girls across the country who have found themselves feeling inadequate when dressed down. The message of body positivity and self-worth is one that all of us should push to deliver, which means tackling comments such as those made by Harry head-on, whether they're a beloved public figure or not.

After spending three weeks with Emily and hearing her talk about her insecurities, Harry should know better.


by for www.femalefirst.co.uk
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