Jamelia says sorry in clothes row

JAMELIA has apologised after sparking controversy by saying that shops should not stock clothes for bigger women – but insisted that she stands by her remarks.

The Loose Women panellist said she was “hounded on Twitter” after airing her views on the ITV show in a discussion about over weight teenagers.

Now she has told Good Morning Britain that she was sorry for upsetting people.

“I didn’t make it clear on the show that I was talking about extremes, I was talking about above size 20 and below size six, those sizes being available en masse,” she s aid. “Knowing that I offended people really upset me. Knowing that I made people question themselves and their choices, it really did upset me. All I can do is apologise for that.”

But the 34-year-old former singer added: “I do stand by what I said. I’m a real woman with real opinions. I get paid to voice my opinions.”

She said of the reaction: “It’s been absolutely awful but this is my job. I believe we are all entitled to our opinion. I genuinely love people and believe everyone has the right to feel wonderful and feel beautiful and it was never my intention to make people feel any less than what they are.” Jamelia told Loose Women: “I do not think it’s right to facilit at e people l i v i ng an unhealthy lifestyle.

“In the same way (that) I don’t believe that a size zero should be available, it’s not a healthy size for an average woman to be.

“I don’t believe they (high street stores) should be providing clothes for below that range or above that range.” A PLAN to build hundreds of flats for rent on the banks of the River Clyde has been given the go-ahead, despite objections from MSPs, councillors and local people.

The development by Kippax, part of the Dandara Group, is part of the Glasgow Harbour development.

Councillors were told the multi-storey will be phase three of the GH2O scheme, which has been moving west along the river. Phases one and two involved five blocks of f lats, which are all completed and occupied.

Phase three will create 342 flats, of which 78 will be studio flats, 134 one -bedroom flats and 130 two-bedroom flats, with shops, offices, food and drink outlets and a gym.

The plan resulted in 15 letters of objection from local residents, MSPs Drew Smith and Sandra White, and councillors Aileen Colleran, Fergal Dalton and Kenny McLean.

They said the development was a dramatic change to the original masterplan for the area, was overdevelopment and did not provide a variety of housing types.

Ms White said: “They are similar to the flats that have just been pulled down in Sighthill.”