Stacey Dooley defends herself against 'painfully predictable' 'Glow Up' critics

Stacey Dooley has further addressed the critics who suggest she’s selling out on investigative journalism by taking part in the upcoming reality series Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star.

The new show – which has been labelled by many of Dooley’s followers as “trivial” – is set to see individuals compete against one another to win a contract to work with some of the biggest make-up artists in the world. Dooley will act as one of the contest’s trio of judges, alongside professionals Dominic Skinner and Val Garland.

While it is a far cry from the hard-hitting documentaries Dooley is known for, the Strictly Come Dancing winner insists that just because you’re “interested in the Yazidi community” doesn’t mean you can’t be interested in lipstick and other cosmetics too.

Read more: Stacey Dooley to appear as a judge for new makeup competition

“[It] blows people’s minds. It’s a really short-sighted Stone Age attitude; it’s boring, actually,” she told the Mail Online. “It’s painfully predictable: there are always people who are desperate to put you in your one camp and never let you leave.”

Back in January, Dooley made a similar point on Twitter when she responded to a fan who questioned why she’d want to “ditch her roots.” She replied: “You can care about human issues, the planet and also be into fashion. You can also take time out to look after yourself mentally.”

More recently, Dooley found herself standing up Labour MP David Lammy on social media, after he accused her of being a “white saviour.” She had shared images of her time in Uganda, when she was filming a segment for Comic Relief, when he argued that her involvement perpetuated “tired and unhelpful stereotypes.”

Read more: Stacey Dooley and David Lammy race row

Addressing his tweet, she encouraged him to “go over there and try [to] raise awareness” before noting that Comic Relief, the non-profit organisation started by filmmaker Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry, has raised over £1 billion since it began in 1985.

Glow Up: Britain’s Next Make-Up Star premieres on BBC Three on Wednesday 6 March.