Kirstie Allsop has defended herself after being accused of being a "rich b****" following her controversial comments about young people buying houses.
The Location, Location, Location presenter came under fire after suggesting that hopeful homeowners would be able to afford their first property if they cut out things like Netflix, gym memberships and takeaway coffees in a recent interview with the Sunday Times.
She said that she felt "enraged" when she hears people say they cannot afford to buy a house due to the fact they are not disciplined enough to forego their luxuries, The Mirror reports.
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The 50-year-old Channel 4 star's comments were branded "woefully privileged" by ex-GMB presenter Piers Morgan, while hundreds on social media weighed in too.
Responding to one post which accused her of "enjoying" that idea that people thought she was "a rich b***h," Kirstie wrote: "Either you think I’m an out of touch rich b***h who doesn’t get how hard it is to buy a home in many parts of the UK or you don’t.
" The Times can twist things as much as they want but in the end, it’s down to whether you believe in my empathy, understanding & experience or not."
Kirstie was then advised to "stop giving interviews" to which she replied: "Good advice which I have already taken."
She added that she would be "sticking to radio and podcasts" because it is "much more difficult to twists people’s words when they come directly from their mouth".
In her Sunday Times interview, Kirstie also suggested that young people could move in with their parents to save money for houses.
She also said young people should look at "cheaper" areas in the north of the country.
Kirstie, who is the daughter of a baron and is said to have bought her first property with family help at the age of 21, told the paper: “When I bought my first property, going abroad, the easyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn’t exist.
“I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday, I’d go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy lipstick. Interest rates were 15 per cent, I was earning £11,500 a year.”
The average house price in the UK was about £51,000 when Kirstie bought her first property. Adjusted for inflation, that is £112,000, compared with £255,556 for the average cost of a home today.
The star went on: "I don't want to belittle those people who can't do it.
"But there are loads of people who can do it and don't. It is hard. We've fallen into the trap of saying it's impossible for everybody. It's about where you can buy, not if you can buy.
"There is an issue around the desire to make those sacrifices."
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