Fury as TV’s This Morning shows girls aged just 8 pole dancing
ITV show This Morning was yesterday accused of airing child pornography after showing girls as young as eight pole dancing in skimpy outfits.
Horrified viewers criticised the daytime programme – which has a history of showing risque content – after it screened the controversial footage as part of a debate.
Titled ‘Is pole dancing too sexual for children?’, it followed news reports that sessions are being run for young girls.
The programme invited class instructor, Zoe Hardy, 33, to defend her work. But it also showed Tilly-Mae and Timea, both eight, and Mia, 11, dancing in hot pants and knotted shirts revealing their midriffs.
Viewers were outraged, with one writing on Twitter: ‘Did I really just see kids in hot pants and cropped school shirts pole dancing on @thismorning?’
Another added: ‘Anyone else concerned by what looks to be child pornography on ITV?’ This Morning was also criticised for showing the 10.30am segment in half term, when many children might have been watching.
This is not the first time it has come under fire for showing inappropriate content. One previous episode discussed 50 Shades of Grey style fetishes while another featured topless women being given a breast cancer examination. As far back as the 1990s, the show caused complaints when it gave couples Viagra so they could discuss their experience on TV.
Instructor Miss Hardy defended pole dancing for young girls. She said on the show: ‘It’s pole fitness not dancing. I think it’s the adult mind that makes it sexual.’
Tilly-Mae’s mother Lisa Grosse added: ‘When you see what they physically do, there’s nothing provocative.’ However, viewers were not convinced, with one saying :‘ Defending this perverted form of exercise is quite staggering.’
Child psychologist Emma Kenny said it was inappropriate for young girls to be doing something so sexual. She added: ‘I think we are in a culture that sexualises children.’
Three viewers have complained to TV watchdog Ofcom. Last year, the regulator investigated This Morning over a segment inspired by 50 Shades of Grey featuring a scantily-clad couple on a bed playing kinky games.
Vivienne Pattison, from campaign group Mediawatch UK, said of the pole dancing episode: ‘To show those images ... is very irresponsible, particularly in half term when children are likely to be watching.’
A spokesman for This Morning said: ‘The item featured a balanced topical debate around children taking part i n pole fitness classes, a subject which has featured in the news over recent days.’