Yahoo News Fern Britton reveals she was sexually assaulted early in career
Note: The following article contains discussion of sexual misconduct that some readers may find upsetting.
Former This Morning host Fern Britton has revealed that she was sexually assaulted early on in her career.
Speaking to the Daily Express, the presenter talked about when she was working at regional ITV channel Television South from the 1980s through the early 1990s, where a man she had been interviewing made a move on her.
"I remember doing a television show when I worked for TVS," he said. "I was in a lift with a man I'd just interviewed.
"He suddenly jumped me and started snogging me. I asked him what on earth he thought he was doing. But it didn't seem to shame him into stopping."
She also talked about the wider problem of inequality, adding: "Women of my generation long ago got used to being taken for granted when it came to inappropriate behaviour.
"The fact remains, the most privileged person on the planet is still the white male.
"But unless they can feel as uncomfortable as single women do walking home at night in the dark, there's always going to be that gap in understanding. Is the pendulum beginning to swing back in the other direction? Yes, it is. But there's still a long way to go."
The #MeToo movement, which encourages victims of sexual assault to speak up, began in 2017, and it was reported last year that harassment complaints made at the BBC had more than doubled in just a few months.
Rape Crisis England and Wales works towards the elimination of all forms of sexual violence and sexual misconduct. If you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this story, you can access more information on their website or by calling the National Rape Crisis Helpline on 0808 802 9999. Rape Crisis Scotland’s helpline number is 08088 01 03 02.
Readers in the US are encouraged to contact RAINN, or the National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800-656-4673.
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