Karen Danczuk defends selfies on Loose Women

Karen Danczuk selfie

Rochdale Councillor Karen Danczuk made an appearance on ITV's Loose Women this afternoon (Tuesday 7 October) and defended the selfies she posts on Twitter.

When asked by panelist Ruth Langsford what her first reaction to the controversy was, Mrs Danczuk said: "At first I didn't really see the big deal of it because they were just selfies so it was just a bit wow really."

The selfies taken by Mrs Danczuk are often posted on social media and first hit the headlines in the summer when they were picked up by the national media.

In response to the media spotlight on her selfies, Mrs Danczuk said: "The press won't show the ones where I am wearing a hoody. I go cycling so they won't show the ones where I am wearing my cycle gear. I tend to just do a selfie when I'm going out, when I've had a long week. I think the thing to remember is, I do a very stressful job, it really is stressful so you do have a very long week and come Friday night yeah let's go out, take a selfie and get dressed up."

Despite standing strong and defending her selfie taking, Mrs Danczuk was questioned by panelists Jamelia and Janet Street Porter about the way the selfies are taken.

Ex pop singer Jamelia asked Mrs Danczuk if she thought the selfies were appropriate and described them as "not everyday selfies". 

In response, Mrs Danczuk said: "I wouldn't turn up to a council planning meeting in a cocktail dress and I wouldn't turn up to a cocktail party with my planning suit on so yes there is a time and a place and I think if I'm going out on a Friday night and my dress is low cut then I say why not?"

Janet Street Porter was then quick to add to the debate and offered her "brutally honest" opinion on the selfies.

She said: "You're a councillor in Rochdale and Rochdale has reached the headlines in a very unfortunate way in the last few years firstly because of allegations of child sex abuse, which your husband wrote a very good book about. Secondly because in 2012, nine men went to prison for having sex with underage girls that they had groomed and one of those girls was 15 years old and she was raped by five men.

"The young women of Rochdale look to you as a Labour Councillor to be a role model whether you want it or not. I think you carry a responsibility as a female politician, whether you intend to go on to stand for Parliament is another matter but I feel ashamed that you get your assets out on a Friday night and post a picture. What kind of role model are your offering a 15 year old girl in Rochdale?"

In response, Mrs Danczuk said: "First of all I don't think you can blame the whole sex grooming scandal on me and I think we have to lose this argument that if you have a low cut top on, if you have a short skirt on then you are a target. No you are not a target. Women should be able to wear what they want, when they want and I will speak for the people of Rochdale, the people of Rochdale are very proud of me at the moment and if you look at the Twitter feed they are so excited that I am sat here today."

The debate continued with ex pop star Jamelia asking Mrs Danczuk what change she was implementing as a councillor in Rochdale but the former singer was unimpressed when Mrs Danczuk defended her selfies and asked what change Jamelia was making after wearing short skirts in music videos and dancing sexily in music videos.

To end the debate, Mrs Danczuk said: "I am in my position, and yes I am in a position of power, at the same time I take that responsibility so seriously. When I am Councillor Danczuk, at the Labour Party conference, I got voted best dressed. You look at me as Councillor Danczuk, that's not Karen Danczuk. I deserve to be able to switch off and be Karen Danczuk at the end of the day.

"Why can't politics have glamour?"

After her appearance on the TV panel show, Mrs Danczuk has received an outpouring of support from people on Twitter with many calling into question the way the panelists spoke to Mrs Danczuk, with some stating that the Loose Women "should be ashamed" and that the way Mrs Danczuk was treated was "appalling".

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/91774/janet-street-porter-setting-back-womens-rights-says-councillor-danczuk