A reality star from Accrington has branded Katie Hopkins a “vile ableist woman” for the comments she made about people with limb differences.
Hopkins, a controversial media personality, posted a video to her Instagram followers talking about people with missing limbs.
Jay Howard, who appeared on Married At First Sight in 2023, published her own video in response to Hopkins.
In the video, the former Apprentice contestant pretends to gag in an attempt at humour at the thought of “stumpy arms”.
She said: “If you’re on the BBC now, you have to have a disability… you know the stumpy arms. They always have to have the end bit of the stumpy arm out.
“Why do they have the stumpy arm people doing the things you wouldn’t be able to do with a stumpy arm?
“All the children’s TV presenters, they always have a stump don't they? If they wore a [long-sleeved top] they wouldn’t just tie a knot [on the arm] like I would.
"They never do that, do they? They have to have that stump right in your face.”
Jay, who recently fronted chat show Unfiltered Women which highlighted the reality of living with a disability, said: “Katie Hopkins, you vile ableist woman… do better.
"You should be ashamed of yourself.
“You are sat there mocking people with limb differences for your own engagement, likes and shares.
“I can take a joke, the majority of us can take a joke, I am quite brutal with my banter but for somebody else, or children, that is quite damaging [to hear].
“It is when you are sat there and pretending to gag because it’s like you’re repulsed by the way we look.
"Sorry we don’t look like you – unfortunately the world doesn’t work like that, and everyone doesn’t look exactly the same.
“If your grandchildren were born with limb difference… you wouldn’t be sat there gagging at them like they repulse you.”
The former Rhyddings High School, Oswaldtwistle, pupil said she hid her disability as a child by wearing a prosthetic.
She said: “When I was a child, I thought I would repulse people with the way I look, so I used to cover mine up and use my prosthetic. Then I thought, ‘why should I do that?'.
"I shouldn’t have to do that to make people like you feel better about yourselves.
“There are people out there with limb differences and why should we be ashamed and try and hide away from narrow-minded people like you?”
Jay, ambassador for limb difference charity Reach, has asked fans and followers not to send hate towards Hopkins, who has made a career from courting controversy.
She said: “I appreciate we all have quite strong opinions on this vile person but hatred only causes more hatred, so direct your hurt into action and please consider heading over to her account and reporting all of her videos like this.”
Katie Hopkins has been approached for comment.
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