Jamelia knew she was the 'token black woman' on Loose Women – but has 'no regrets' despite ‘sacking’ over controversial plus-size clothing comments

But according to the singer and mum-of-three, her inclusion on the panel between 2013 and 2016 was a "box-ticking" exercise – and she has no regrets about her controversial comments.

Speaking to Fabulous Digital, she explained: "I was never under any illusions that my acceptance onto the Loose Women panel was box-ticking, but that was never a problem for me.

"I was happy to be the token (black woman) if it meant that I could be in a position of change, which is why I was so outspoken when I was on the show.

"If you get a seat at the table, it’s important for you to use it wisely, and that’s what I did. I know I may have ruffled a few feathers, and I wasn’t very well-liked by ‘Middle England’, but I think it’s important for ‘Middle England’ to know that I do exist.

"I deserve to have the same voice, opportunity and platform that other people do."


Jamelia, who currently lives in Birmingham with her family, was bombarded with abuse online after sharing her view that shops should not sell clothes in very large or small sizes.

It was those comments in particular that led to her being uninvited on to future Loose Women shows – but Jamelia pointed out that her fellow panellists made similar comments and didn't receive the same backlash.

"Some of the white panellists did say exactly the same thing I said, and worse, on the day," she explained.

"The next day we went in and had a meeting, and the other panellists were very supportive and said, 'Why can’t we call it what it is?

"She’s being singled out because she’s black,' and we wanted to have that conversation on the show, but the producers said no, we weren’t allowed to, and we had to just continue as normal."


She added: "I don’t regret one single thing about being on the show, and I’m really grateful for the opportunity and the experience.

"I would go back on it if I was invited. I think it’s a fantastic opportunity, a great platform, and I don’t bear any hard feelings."

Jamelia is fully supportive of women expressing their feelings – which is why she supports Serena Williams in her US Open sexism row.

Williams was hit with a £13,000 fine for verbally abusing umpire Carlos Ramos, who had sent the 23-time Grand Slam winner into a meltdown after initially warning her for being illegally coached.

Williams pointed out that historically male players have spoken to umpires in the same way and said she is "fighting for women's rights and women's equality" in the game.

Jamelia said: "I think what she said was absolutely true. You see men acting much worse than what she did, and I also think when you’re accused of doing something you didn’t do, it really does anger you – I really felt it for her in that moment.

"I think we need to get rid of this idea that women aren’t supposed to be angry, we’re supposed to be meek and mild.

"No. If you’re angry in that moment you should be allowed to be and you should be allowed to express yourself.

"Of course I understand good sportsmanship, but I believe she was well within her rights to complain and be emotionally vulnerable in that moment, and I think she does deserve an apology."

As a mum to three daughters, Jamelia said it's vitally important to her to be outspoken and inspire change for future generations.

"I don’t want them to lie down and take the things that I’ve taken throughout my life," she explained.

"I want them to have a different experience, and that’s why I totally support when people do use their platforms to speak up."

Jamelia welcomed her baby daughter True Winter on 13 December 2017 – having almost lost her after her waters broke at just 23 weeks.

The youngster then nearly choked to death when she was four weeks old due to a reflux problem – a harrowing incident that left Jamelia claims left her with PTSD.

Now, True's episodes are less frequent and Jamelia has undertaken CPR training to help her baby if she gets into difficulty.

Speaking about her daughter's progress, she said: "She’s doing really, really well; she’s crawling, she’s standing up, she’s basically terrorising us, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

"When you nearly lose a child it makes every single milestone amazing.

"They’re not as frequent, her episodes, now, they’re probably once every couple of months.
"It was awful to go through and I definitely suffered with some PTSD from it.

"It was a really, really awful time for us as a family."

A spokesperson for Loose Women said: "Loose Women books panellists and guests based on the stories they have to tell and we of course look to reflect and embrace diversity across the spectrum, and cover a wealth of campaigns and issues.

"We will continue to take representation on and off screen seriously."

Jamelia is launching the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards and said the initiative is "invaluable" for parents and children from all walks of life.

"I actively promote breakfast and why it’s the most important meal of the day," she said.

"It sets you up emotionally and physically. I can’t function without a decent breakfast and it’s a healthy habit that I want to ensure I pass onto my girls."

To find out more and to submit a Breakfast Club Awards entry, click here. Entries close on Friday 28 September.

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