Yahoo News Celebs Go Dating star Dr Tara responds to Stephen Webb backlash
Celebs Go Dating spoilers follow.
Celebs Go Dating star Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn has responded to Stephen Webb facing a backlash for dating younger men on the show.
Viewers have seen the 53-year-old Gogglebox star pursuing several much younger men on the E4 show's first week of episodes, including going on a first date with 22-year-old Ben.
Some fans have been critical of the show for matching Stephen with these younger men, whereas Celebs Go Dating relationship expert Paul Carrick Brunson directly complained about the star's age "fixation".
In an interview with The Sun, Dr Tara defended Stephen by suggesting both parties had to agree before they'd ever be matched by the show's relationship experts.
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"Age Gap relationships are becoming more common and more accepted in society, as we have seen in a bunch of movies this year of older females and younger males," she argued.
“And when we say younger, it's legal age, right? It's not like super teenagers. Everything is always done consensually, and you know, of course, with enthusiasm.”
Dr Tara went on: "For us, if it was like, you know him asking Ben like, 'Do you want to go on a date?' like Ben could have said, 'No', if he was like, 'you're too old for me'.
"But he enthusiastically participated. So we just think, you know, if it's a great match, we don't discriminate against age-gap relationships."
Related: Gogglebox's Daniel Lustig giving dating advice to ex Stephen Webb
Stephen joined the new season following his split from husband and Gogglebox co-star Daniel Lustig earlier this year. He has said he asked for Daniel's blessing before going on the dating show.
"I did ask Daniel for his permission to do the show because we still live together, and if he had said, 'I'd prefer you not to do it', I wouldn't have done it, but he didn't," Stephen told The Mirror.
"He said, 'I think you should do it. I think it'd be really good for you'. And so, I had his blessing."
Celebs Go Dating is airing its new season on E4.
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