Loose Women Strip Off to Protest Against Ageism on TV
September 20, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
Former TV stars and fellow Loose Women presenters have joined forces and bared all in protest for magazine photo shoot.
Some of Britain’s soap stars and presenters have stripped for a magazine photo shoot to protests against ageism in the media.
Eastenders actress Gillian Taylforth and Coronation Street’s Beverley Callard, along with Loose Women’s Sherrie Hewson and Andrea McLean posed naked for Best magazine’s ‘body image’ issue.
They spoke out against how women are often subjected to ageism in television and claimed that despite their talent, they have been denied roles simply because producers believe them to be too old.
They protested against the lack of roles offered to older women and proved there was nothing old about their bodies during the shoot.
All four women expressed how difficult it is to get work in television as they get older.
Gillian Taylforth, 56, said in the magazine interview: “In TV, it’s ok for men to be 50 or 60, but for women it’s very difficult. Older actresses can feel put by the wayside.
“I left The Bill three years ago, and since then TV work has been harder to come by.”
Beverley Callard, 54, agreed that the pressure has prevented her from enjoying getting older and believes that the problem is getting worse and that television writers may be at fault.
She said: “Women my age face a lack of parts because writers don’t write about women in their 50s.”
Although Sherrie Hewson acknowledges the difficulties women face in television as they get older, she is grateful to be on a show like Loose Women where her being older is definitely an advantage.
She said: “I’m very lucky. Loose Women is the only show that actually celebrates older women.”
Even though Andrea McLean is successful as a presenter on Loose Women, she is not taking any chances and has set up an interior design company with her husband Steve Toms.
The full interview with the four women appears in Best Magazine which goes on sale on Tuesday.
By Rebekah Bickerton
[Image Courtesy ofdamo1977]
