Steve Allen apologizes to Strictly’s Tilly Ramsay after calling her “chubby”

A radio presenter who called Tilly Ramsay a “chubby little thing” live on the air apologized to the Strictly Come Dancing star.

Newsbeat was told that Steve Allen contacted her last week to apologize.

It’s after the 19-year-old CBBC presenter posted a statement on Instagram calling the comments a “step too far”.

She was supported online by her Strictly co-stars and other celebrities.

Allen had read a comment from a listener who told him that Tilly – who is the daughter of TV chef Gordon Ramsay – was attending Celebrity MasterChef Australia and Strictly.

She replied: “Really? Well, she can’t dance well, I’m already bored with her.

“She’s a chubby thing, isn’t she? Did you notice? Her dad’s probably cooking, I guess.”

The 19-year-old addressed Allen’s comments directly in an Instagram post saying she “won’t tolerate people who think it’s okay to comment publicly and scrutinize anyone’s weight and appearance.”

She said she tries not to pay attention to what is written or said about her, but being “called on a national radio station by a 67-year-old man is too long a step.”

Former Love Island star Dr. Alex George – now the government ambassador for youth mental health – said he was “absolutely horrified.”

In a letter published in his Instagram Allen’s employer, LBC, urged the broadcaster to “acknowledge how harmful such comments are about someone’s weight.”

Continuing “the discussion on the weight of a young person live on air is not acceptable”.

Ramsay says he has faced comments about her appearance in the past and that although she is learning to accept herself, words can still hurt.

Her dance partner Nikita Kuzmin finished third on the Strictly Come Dancing chart on Saturday, scoring 36 points.

She turned to Instagram to thank her followers for “all the fantastic support from last week”.

Newsbeat reached out to his management for comment.

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