Katie Hopkins slams ‘dull’ Rebecca Adlington as she defends Helen Skelton over short skirt Olympics criticism

Hopkins described Skelton as a "strong woman" and said "we need more like her"
Defended: Katie Hopkins has slammed Helen Skelton's critics
BBC
Emma Powell10 August 2016
The Weekender

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Katie Hopkins has defended Helen Skelton after she was criticised for wearing a short skirt while providing coverage of the swimming at the Rio Olympic Games.

Hopkins described the critics as “perpetually jealous” and said Skelton has “every right to be proud” of her body.

Writing in her Mail Online column she said: “She has worked hard for the body she has got. Ultra-marathons, the longest kayak journey ever by a woman, high-wire walking, polar expeditions - she’s done the lot. And the gruelling training regimes she has endured to achieve all this have given her the body she is proud to show off.”

She continued: “I don’t care people are commenting about her face and dress. She enjoys the attention, and away from Adam Peaty she has been the most exciting thing in the swimming.

“Who cares if she’s wearing knickers, no knickers, or her knickers on her head? She’s doing a brilliant job and making Rio vaguely watchable.”

Hopkins accused the BBC of “cow-towing to the fat acceptance brigade” and said the “sad desperadoes who can’t be positive about her or her wardrobe, because she makes [them] feel bad for being fat need to own [their] issues.”

The controversial columnist also praised Skelton’s “handling [of] complex commentary at 2am” before slating Rebecca Adlington for her “dull monotone” commentary, and Clare Balding for putting her in a “vegetative state”.

Hopkins finished: “[Skelton] has worked hard at her body, and has every right to be proud of it. She looks great in her dresses, and has done a top job of showing them off. And she has been tenacious in her career and made it to the BBC Olympic commentary team.

“Looking at the competition; Balding, Cotter, Irving, Tweddle, Adlington, Inverdale – she’s the closest thing to British Broadcasting Gold we’ve got.”

Skelton's clothing attracted inappropriate comments from some viewers who said they were 'distracted' by her legs.

Others defended the TV presenter and questioned why no one was commenting on Foster’s decision to show his legs in a pair of shorts.

Rio 2016 Olympic Games Moments - In pictures

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