Creeps drove us out of showbiz
SUPERMODEL Kate Moss revealed on Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs how as a teenager she had to deal with unwanted approaches from men. The physical, emotional and sexual abuse of young gymnasts by coaches has also been brought into the open. My identical twin sister Margaret and I had to give up our successful careers in showbusiness to avoid disgusting behaviour from agents.
As children we were always singing, dancing and acting in school plays. After a couple of years in office jobs, we became professional singers at the age of 18 with the stage names the Carson Walker Twins and The Doublettes. Our problems started soon afterwards. All the agents were middle-aged men
who were quick to make us feel that if they booked us, then we owed them something.
We were sexually harassed all the time. We kept changing agents, but they all seemed to be as bad as each other. Some of them were filthy. One asked us to satisfy his needs before he would discuss appearances on future shows. Despite this we were successful entertainers, working with Frankie Howerd and Hughie Green on TV, The
Crazy Gang show and touring with Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde. We performed in Europe, the Middle East and the Far East, and recorded a LP in South Africa. Our hopes were raised that things would change after we were matched with twin boys for a Dick Emery TV series — we were known as The Birds And The Bees — but we ran up against a man who insisted: ‘When the group aren’t working, I want the girls to be available for me.’ A favourite comment to us from male singers, comedians and celebrities was: ‘I’ve always wondered what it would be like with twins.’ In those days we couldn’t complain because if we reported these men, we would be blacklisted and wouldn’t get any further bookings. Though singing was our lives, we had to get away to be safe, so we started new careers in accounting and beauty therapy.
We were delighted when the #MeToo movement started and actresses and performers began bringing charges against other entertainers and managers. We are so proud of them and wish we could have done the same to save our singing careers, but we were too afraid.
JosePHine coLLins, canvey island, essex.