Yahoo News Kerry Katona calls Lucy Beaumont 'quite ridiculous' in row over children's ear piercing
Kerry Katona has sparked a row with comedian Lucy Beaumont over her demands that it should be illegal to pierce baby's ears. Lucy, aged 40, has urged her followers to boycott Claire's Accessories for piercing baby's ears.
Lucy, who recently announced her split from husband Jon Richardson, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter: "Why isn’t it illegal to pierce a baby’s ears? @claires I’d like to boycott them to make it stop, it’s mental, I recently saw a baby go from smiley and happy to in complete shock and in pain, plus the risk of infection. Babies don’t need earrings! #boycottclairesaccesories."
But in response to the demand, Kerry, 43, has spoken out about her own experience of getting her ears pierced as a child, calling Lucy's opinions "quite ridiculous", as reported by The Mirror.
In her weekly column for OK! magazine, she said: "Comedian Lucy Beaumont has said piercing a baby’s ears should be illegal, which I think is quite ridiculous. Most kids get it done at some point and at least when they’re young it won’t hurt – it makes it easier."
Her column continued: "I’m sure I was really young when I had mine done. A lot of cultures believe in piercing kids’ ears, too. I don’t think it should be illegal – it’s a choice."
Following Lucy's post on X, many flocked to her defence, agreeing it was 'cruel' to put a baby through 'unnecessary pain'. One wrote: "I remember seeing a two-year-old in there, sobbing and begging them not to do the other ear. Staff member and her aunt wouldn’t back down, and told her she’d get a toy when it was done. It was a few years ago now but I’ve never forgotten it and regret not intervening."
Another shared: "Yes! I’ve always said this, it’s completely unnecessary pain to inflict on a child for the sake of the PARENTS' vanity. The law needs to be changed, no one under the age of 13 should be allowed it to have it done."
Lucy, who shares a seven-year-old daughter with her ex, Jon, sympathised with the opinion and commented: “I’ve left @claires numerous times to the sound of high pitched piercing cries that you hear echo in shopping centres - sat on a parents knee- sometimes they like to do it next to the window so you can look in and see it happen, isn't it time to make it illegal? @NSPCC."
But some parents argued in defence of piercing ears at a young age. One posted: "Babies scream when they have their jabs and get over it pretty quickly. I’ve had my ears pierced since I was a baby and I’m absolutely fine, no PTSD, nothing."
As reported by The Mirror, in England and Wales, there is no age limit when it comes to piercing - however, it could be considered an offence if intimate parts of the body of those under 16 are pierced. The law is different in Scotland and there is a requirement for age of consent at the age of 16.
