Judi Love has called for an end to systemic racism amid the row over footballers taking the knee.
Writing in her exclusive weekly OK! magazine column, Judi has questioned Home Secretary Priti Patel’s approach after she claimed fans have the right to boo footballers for taking the knee before matches. Sign up – for free! – to see what Judi has to say.
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Taking the knee
Priti Patel claimed fans have the right to boo footballers for taking the knee before matches, as the Home Secretary argued that it amounts to “gesture politics”. Taking the knee has become a firm stance for people to say they will stand against racism. Black footballers are constantly racially abused on and off the pitch and it’s a joke that fans can boo players and then expect them to play their best.
Fans are happy for the black footballers to score, but not happy for them to express their distress and have others stand in unity with them. Grow up! I question Priti’s approach with such sensitive topics like this that affect the lives of so many. Fans who have booed need to look at themselves and how they are negatively affecting the fight against racism. As time goes forward, I hope there will be bigger concrete changes that will eradicate systemic racism – not just in football, but in all areas of our society.
Continued restrictions
Boris Johnson announced that the easing of restrictions would be pushed back by four weeks last week. I think the main thing we’ve learned over the last year is that anything can change, so I’ve always been cautious to make plans anyway. My daughter has her big 16th birthday coming up, so we’ll have to adapt that. It’s frustrating, but we need to make sure we’re enjoying life to the best of our abilities.
Love Island
It was reported recently that Love Island is hoping to sign up contestants with disabilities to this year’s show. It’s one of the biggest dating shows on TV and they’ve tried to encourage representation by having diversity when it comes to ethnic backgrounds. But there are other areas people want to see more representation too, like age, sexuality and disabilities.
This is something I realised myself when I hosted a Quarantine Date Night show on my social media over lockdown. Love is universal, so everyone should be represented on screen. Let’s be honest, the drama will still be there on the show no matter what contestants they pick, and I for one can’t wait to watch.
Chrissy's apology
Chrissy Teigen has apologised for old tweets in which she was accused of trolling celebrities. We know that trolling can have a devastating effect on people’s mental health. In her statement, Chrissy makes clear she understands she was a troll who was trying to “gain attention and show off” when in reality she was “insecure” and felt as though she needed to “impress strangers in order to be accepted”.
Chrissy said she is now aware her behaviour was unacceptable. It’s important to reflect and grow from our mistakes, especially when you know you’ve done wrong by others. Chrissy has shown she is no longer that person who trolled strangers online.
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I was enjoying the beautiful weather as much as possible, with brunches and birthday barbecues (within guidelines), and I had lovely meals at The Ivy Chelsea Garden and No 197 Chiswick Fire Station.
I was also able to see one of my closest friends for the first time in a year last week. I find the sun makes things feel really simple. I’m lucky to have a garden with a basketball hoop that my son loves. All you need is good food, company and a park to sit in and you’ve got a beautiful event.
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