Putting together a presenting line-up of four of the most uninhibited and opinionated stars in Showbizland, debating the biggest headlines of the day, means that every day on ‘Loose Women’ is a potential scandal waiting to happen.
Over the years, the lunchtime panel show has had its fair share of controversial moments, with panelists past and present like Denise Welch, Coleen Nolan, Jamelia and Janet Street-Porter all making the headlines for some reason or another, over comments they’ve made on the show.
From tensions on the panel, to guests and their colourful language (not to mention the small matter of incidents like the poll, inviting viewers to comment on whether women’s behaviour can ever invite rape or Jamelia’s ill-advised remarks about plus-sized fashion), here are a handful of the most memorable ‘Loose Women’ scandals from over the years…
Judy Finnigan's Comments On 'Non-Violent Rape'
In her very first appearance on the ‘Loose Women’ panel, Judy caused outcry with her comments defending convicted rapist Ched Evans and his potential return to football, insisting he’d “served his time”, adding: “The rape was not violent, he didn’t cause any bodily harm to the person.”
Not exactly off to a flying start…
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Harvey Price Drops The C-Bomb
Katie Price’s son was responsible for one of the most memorable ‘Loose Women’ moments ever, when he dropped the C-bomb live on air during a conversation about online trolling.
Katie immediately told Harvey off for his language, while host Andrea McLean issued a swift apology, but some viewers complained to Ofcom. However, the complaints were later upheld.
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'Gay Cake Row'
‘Loose Women’ viewers called for Coleen Nolan to be sacked, after she appeared to compare supporting gay rights and supporting ISIS, during a discussion about the infamous ‘cake row’ in Northern Ireland.
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'Is It Ever A Woman's Fault If She Is Raped?'
This social media poll obviously landed the show in seriously hot water, with critics suggesting that a topic as serious as rape isn’t really up for debate at all, but in particular on a lunchtime panel show.
Janet Street-Porter
JSP is always a polarising figure, but when she saw a photo of Prince George on the show and called him a ‘cross-dressing billionaire’, she managed to raise even more eyebrows than usual.
Karwai Tang via Getty Images
'Get Ready To Bleep This!'
Unaware the show was completely live, Joan Rivers branded Russell Crowe “a piece of f***ing s***” in a pre-watershed moment that had the whole panel cringing.
In an interview in the days that followed, the late comedy legend spoke of her glee at being promptly removed from the studio during an ad break.
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Jamelia Has Her Say On Plus-Size Fashion
Jamelia was at the centre of a ‘Loose Women’ scandal when she gave her views on whether High Street shops should stock plus-size clothes.
In comments that were quickly shared all over the Internet, Jamelia explained: “I am all for celebrating people as they are… but I do not think it’s right to facilitate people living an unhealthy lifestyle.
“I do think that you should feel uncomfortable if you are unhealthy.”
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Nadia Sawalha Says Being Transgender Is 'A Trend'
Nadia was faced with a Twitter backlash when she suggested that the rise in children being diagnosed as transgender was ‘the in thing’ and compared it to ‘self-harm’, calling it a ‘fashionable word that has been taken on’.
ITV
Tensions On The Panel
Denise Welch revealed during an interview with Piers Morgan that she’d refused to sit on the ‘Loose Women’ panel with Janet Street-Porter – though judging from this video, where JSP walks off immediately after being asked about Denise – there’s not exactly any love lost between them.
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Coleen Nolan And Her Son
Coleen Nolan caused a stir in 2005, when she suggested that if her 16-year-old son passed his exams, she would pay for him to take a trip to see the Red Light District in Amsterdam.
Despite criticism, Coleen stood by her comments at the time, insisting she’d rather he went there than a trip to Ibiza where he would “probably have unprotected sex with lots of girls”, insisting: “I’d rather he does it somewhere well-policed and where the girls have health checks than behind the wall of a club in Ibiza.”
Meanwhile, her ex-husband, Shane Richie, said he was “appalled” by Coleen’s suggestion.
Ken McKay/ITV
Penny Lancaster Goes IN On Sarah Harding
Good grief, we still feel exhausted every single time we watch this video.
Sarah Harding was only appearing on the show to promote her appearance on ‘The Jump’, but ended up having all of her shortcomings brought up one after the other during her interview.
The *ahem* fun starts at around the 4:20 mark.
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![Plus-size fashion isn't the only hot topic that has landed Jamelia in hot water, though, after she was criticised for comments she made about women who choose to become mothers later in life.
One such critic was Tina Malone, who had a baby via IVF at 50 years old, who said she was "furious" with Jamelia, tweeting that at her age: "I am fitter, look better, have more energy, can cook, work, clean, and go [all night]... and I have a 32-year-old!! And Jamelia, I am wiser!!!"](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/56e1944a1500002a000b190b.jpeg?ops=scalefit_950_800_noupscale)
Jamelia Talks Older Mums
Plus-size fashion isn’t the only hot topic that has landed Jamelia in hot water, though, after she was criticised for comments she made about women who choose to become mothers later in life.
One such critic was Tina Malone, who had a baby via IVF at 50 years old, who said she was “furious” with Jamelia, tweeting that at her age: “I am fitter, look better, have more energy, can cook, work, clean, and go [all night]… and I have a 32-year-old!! And Jamelia, I am wiser!!!”
Steve Meddle/Rex/ITV
Rupert Everett Drops An F-Bomb
Another ‘Loose Women’ guest who let their mouth run away with them was Rupert Everett, who accidentally dropped the F-bomb during an interview in 2013, going on to recall thinking he had a “dreadful disease” after an AIDS scare in the 1980s.
Luckily, Lisa Maxwell saw the funny side of his gaffe, piping up quickly to say the disease he was talking about was actually Tourette’s.
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Jacqueline Jossa Hits Out At The Show
The ‘EastEnders’ actress blasted the show in 2016, when she claimed that her interview contained a line of questioning related to her fiancé’s past relationship, and allegations of abuse and threats, which she’d not been briefed about beforehand.
Rex Shutterstock/ITV
THAT Katie Hopkins Interview
Shortly after her eviction from the ‘CBB’ house, ‘Loose Women’ invited Katie Hopkins onto the show to offer her side of the story.
However, the interview came under fire not because of what Katie said, but because of the panel, who were labelled ‘bullies’ and ‘unprofessional’ by some critics over their – admittedly, pretty intense – grilling.
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Coleen Nolan vs Kim Woodburn
Coleen was brought together with her former ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ housemate Kim in an attempt to settle their feud. However, things quickly turned nasty between the pair, with Kim breaking down as she discussed her traumatic childhood.
Coleen and her sister Linda were criticised for speaking over her and not showing her compassion, and viewers branded the whole charade exploitative and uncomfortable after Kim walked off the show.
Ex 'Loose Women' Hit Out At Show
Former stars Carol McGiffin and Denise Welch departed the show on acrimonious terms back in 2013, amid a change of top boss.
They later hit out at the show when they were ‘airbrushed’ out of the series’ 18th birthday celebrations in 2017, both taking to Twitter to air their upset.
Rex/Shutterstock/ITV/Ken McKay
