Stacey Dooley blasts critics obsessed with her accent as ‘f***ing boring’

Stacey Dooley has hit back at her critics, saying the obsession with her accent is ‘f***ing boring’.

Speaking to Cosmopolitan magazine about working in the media, class, and being ‘the juiciest peach’, the Strictly Come Dancing winner said: “When you go into current affairs, and the BBC is particularly guilty, it’s very middle-class, Oxbridge-educated and male-dominated.

“But it’s refreshing to have different perspectives. It’s healthy to surround yourself with people who don’t think the same as you, vote the same as you or read the same papers as you.

“The obsession with my accent is so f***ing boring, though.”

Despite this, Dooley, aged 32 remains philosophical: “You can either moan about not fitting in, or you can think, ‘I’m going to work harder than everyone else and make sure these documentaries are the most watched, so people can’t criticise me.’

“I know I’m not where I am because I’m insanely talented. If you want to do well and you want nice bits, you have to work harder than everyone else for it.

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“I have accepted that you’re never going to be everyone’s cup of tea. You could be the juiciest peach in the bar and some f***er won’t like peaches. But you can’t value yourself on other people’s opinions so you have to let it go.”

The documentary film-maker, who was raised in Luton, feels the industry has some way to go before it balances out class inequalities in the media. She said: “Whether we like to admit it or not, it’s a fact that privileged kids are more likely to be hired in this industry, which is depressing.

“But we have to keep making noise and make sure all kids are seen as f***ing equals. There’s amazingly talented kids in state schools or in deprived areas that would shine given the right opportunities.”

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Since winning Strictly, Dooley has gone on to host Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star.