Carol Vorderman has hit out at Tory peer Shaun Bailey after he made sexist comments about her during a recent GB News appearance.
Lord Bailey claimed that the outspoken Vorderman can’t be a serious political commentator due to her posting photos of her “bum and boobs” on Instagram.
On Wednesday (3 January), Vorderman shared the clip on X, formerly known as Twitter. Branding Bailey a “misogynist”, she encouraged her followers to get the hashtag “#SexistShaun” trending. As the hashtag rose up the platform’s trends, Lord Bailey shared a statement with The Independent responding to the criticism.
Carol Vorderman encouraged her followers to get SexistShaun trending— (PA Archive)
“In a recent panel discussion, I used a clumsy form of words to describe Carol Vorderman’s Instagram posts,” he said. “The point I was trying to make is Carol lives in a world of glitz and celebrity, as her Instagram portrays, but simultaneously demonises and bullies those who hold different political views to her own. I strongly support free speech. I don’t support bullying.”
Lord Bailey, a member of the London Assembly who was appointed to the House of Lords as part of Boris Johnson’s resignation honours, made the comments during an appearance on GB News last week.
While discussing Vorderman, who has been a vocal critic of the Conservative Party, he said: “Look. On the one hand, she’s got all that stuff, you know, she’s a serious political commentator. And then you look at her Instagram, it’s all pictures of her bum and her boobs. So what is it here? She can’t be both.”
In response, Vorderman tweeted: “Tory Shaun Bailey is a MISOGYNIST #SexistShaun – the Jingle & Mingle Partygate apologist,” in reference to a lockdown-breaking Christmas party organised for tLord Bailey’s team in 2020.
“‘Carol Vorderman tries to be a serious political commentator. But if you look at her on Instagram it’s all pictures of her bum(s) and her boobs. She can’t be both,’ he grunted on GB News last wk [sic].”
Vorderman continued: “So Shaun thinks that women who wear lycra in the gym shouldn’t be allowed a political opinion… or I assume a vote!
“Failed Mayoral candidate #SexistShaun was made a Lord last year. Yet another Tory honour for dishonour,” she concluded in her post, before asking her followers to retweet and keep sharing the hashtag.
The Independent has contacted GB News for comment.
Following Vorderman’s tweet, the hashtag “#SexistShaun” began trending on X as Vorderman was supported by journalist Ava Evans.
‘#SexistShaun’ began trending on Twitter/X, Ms Vorderman said— (Twitter/X)
The political correspondent was herself the subject of sexist comments on GB News in September, after the actor-turned-politician Laurence Fox asked “who would want to shag that?” while discussing Evans with Dan Wootton.
Evans tweeted: “Really exhausting to see this said about @carolvorders. It’s so easy to use your interview time to go for someone’s arguments, yet he can’t help himself but go for her body. Former Tory Mayoral candidate, who was photographed partying during lockdown.”
Activist Femi Oluwole tweeted: “Shaun Bailey is a sexist. Shaun Bailey thinks physically confident women, aren’t allowed opinions.
“#SexistShaun creeps on Carol Vorderman’s instagram then rages about her, like an angry incel. @ShaunBaileyUK represents the culture that endangers women.”
Commentator Marina Purkiss wrote: “State of this… Think you desperately need to clarify this one @ShaunBaileyUK. Are you saying women cannot have political opinions and have bums and boobs? Because guess what… Women can have it all, you misogynistic weasel of a man.”
Political commentator Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu meanwhile said that the video radiated “small d*** energy”.
“The Lord Bailey of Paddington my a***! The audacity to denigrate & discredit @carolvorders invaluable contribution to British political discourse by reducing Carol Vorderman to her ‘bum & boobs’ is disgustingly misogynist & sexist,” she wrote.
