Countdown’s Rachel Riley quizzed on ‘feud’ with Anne Robinson
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Countdown star Rachel Riley made her controversial comments after JK Rowling caused a social media storm by arguing that those who are biologically female and who have periods should be referred to as “women” and not “people who menstruate”. The latter term was adopted by some to be more gender-inclusive to those who are trans, non-binary or gender non-conforming.
Rachel, who was recently involved in an explosive libel case against one of Jeremy Corbyn’s former aides in court, has claimed opinions on anti-semitism are at the heart of the trans debate.
“I think a lot of the attacks on JK Rowling are really because she spoke out for Jews and against Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism,” Rachel declared.
Also discussing the Harry Potter author’s philanthropic work, Riley defended: “She has made a real difference to the world.
However, the Countdown star exclaimed: “[Just saying] this will get us both cancelled.”
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The trans debate has also focused on the use of the term “birthing people”, which was introduced by a Brighton and Sussex Hospital Trust as an addition to “pregnant women” – something JK Rowling and fellow activists feel strongly about.
Rachel had already experienced what she described as cancel culture when she sued a former aide of Labour politician Jeremy Corbyn for libel.
Laura Murray had made a controversial tweet about her comments which Rachel claimed led to a campaign to have ousted from Countdown and cancelled.
Rachel, who has been vocal in the past about troll attacks directed at her, says she received a barrage of “abuse” after commenting on eggs being thrown at Corbyn.
The former leader of the Labour Party had been visiting a mosque in Finsbury Park, North London when he’d been pelted with eggs by a Brexit supporter back in 2019.
Rachel, who is proud of her own Jewish identity, reposted a tweet that caught her eye, written by the Guardian columnist Owen Jones.
Though it wasn’t directly related to the incident, she found its words fitting for the occasion: “I think sound life advice is, if you don’t want eggs thrown at you, don’t be a Nazi.”
In response, Laura Murray fired back from her Twitter account: “Today Jeremy Corbyn went to his local mosque for Visit My Mosque Day, and was attacked by a Brexiteer.
“Rachel Riley tweets that Corbyn deserves to be violently attacked because he is a Nazi.
“This woman is as dangerous as she is stupid. Nobody should engage with her. Ever.”
Rachel swiftly decided to sue, claiming that the comment was a direct “attack” on her and her Countdown role.
“The response to the defendant’s libel of me was a concerted attack on me and my career,” she said in a statement.
“My career is in the public domain. A concerted campaign was initiated to get me fired from my job, as being someone who had advocated violence.”
She added that the comment had been made sarcastically.
Rachel was awarded £10,000 in damage after a High Court judge determined that she had been subjected to libellous speech.
Her comments about Jeremy Corbyn arose after the one-time leader was suspended by his party back in 2020 after claiming that allegations of antisemitism in the party had been “dramatically overstated”.
A Watchdog ruling found him guilty of failing to stamp out the aforementioned antisemitism and he apologised for “belittling” the concerns of members of the public.
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