Rochelle Humes breaks silence after being accused of ‘stealing job’ on new show

Television presenter Rochelle Humes has spoken out about online claims she had replaced another host for a Channel 4 documentary.

The programme is focusing on the mortality rate of black women during pregnancy and childbirth in Britain.

The former The Saturdays star was accused of taking the job from author Candice Brathwaite who was said to be "gutted" after discovering she wouldn't be leading the Channel 4 documentary.

Candice informed her online followers that she would be "putting her ego" to one side as the "disturbing data when it came to black women dying in childbirth," was too important to go unreported.

Now, Rochelle, 31, has dismissed the claims and explained she had been approached more than twelve months ago.

In a statement released to her Instagram Stories, the former S Club Juniors singer said: "Hey gang. The situation around the documentary playing out online is complex and I know that my response won't satisfy everyone.

"That being said, I am going to speak to the facts and what I know to be true. Firstly, recognise that I am contributing to a conversation that many black women have been central to and fighting for a long time.

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"When taking on this project, it was necessary to the producers and I, that the voices of the people who've been directly affected are centred in the storytelling."

The This Morning presenter added: "It's important to me personally and everyone involved in this documentary that this ongoing issue is brought to the widest possible audience.

"I want to utilise my platform to add further reach and visibility to this ongoing issue, with the sole intention of creating broader awareness to affect change.

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"I was offered the role as host last year, to go on an exploratory journey through the lends of the audience to ask the question why."

The mum-of-three went on to say: "To tackle any issue on a national scale, it involves a community of people pulling together to advocate and rally for change as ultimately we all share the same goal.

"This is bigger than me and not about me, I'm just bringing this topic to a wider audience and championing the incredible women that haven't yet had their voices heard.

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"I want to honour the brave people who have opened up and shared their journeys, in the hope that, collectively, we can understand, learn from, and end these needless deaths."

Roch's statement comes after Candice took to Instagram to tell her followers that she wasn't "in the running" for the job.

She penned: "The producer of the show that Rochelle Humes is to present has called me asking me to clarify that I was never in the running to present that particular documentary.

"So for the record – I was contacted in March 2020 by a different production company about developing a similar documentary and had been speaking with them throughout 2020 – our last zoom call being on December 1st 2020."

In a statement shared with Metro, a spokesperson for Channel 4 said: "It is completely untrue that Rochelle Humes replaced Candice Brathwaite on this film. Rochelle was the only presenter attached to the project. Candice was approached to be interviewed but declined."

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