Loose Women viewers were shocked and distressed to watch Kim Woodburn get emotional and storm off set after recalling her harrowing childhood during that fight with Coleen Nolan on Loose Women this week.
The 76-year-old TV personality – who wrote a memoir in 2006 chronicling her traumatic experiences as a child – was appearing on the show to resolve issues with former fellow Celebrity Big Brother housemate Coleen, who she had called “two-faced” during their time in the house.
Kim explained that she was unable to cope with what she has described as “bullying” by all of the housemates – including Coleen – during Celebrity Big Brother because it brought back distressing memories of her abusive childhood.
Coleen’s sister Linda, who defended Coleen and provocatively asked what Kim’s talent was during their disagreement, also nodded along saying, “We know”, to Kim’s comments about her “brutal” childhood. That’s possibly because Kim has previously appeared on Loose Women to detail the physical and sexual abuse inflicted by her parents.
Back in February 2017, Kim told the panel that she had been beaten by her mother, and neglected by her father. She also said her father had touched her inappropriately.
“My father was a Royal Marine, he’d have a touch of the old naughty bits with me when he could get away with it,” she disclosed. “I was very young and I remember my mum used to beat me up with the carpet brushes. Smash them up here, smash them up there.”
When Janet Street-Porter asked whether she ever told her mother about the sexual abuse, she recalled: “I never told her, I didn’t know how to. When I was a little girl, we didn’t discuss that thing, you know. What it did to me was, I’m a very kind person, I’m a softie.”
© Channel 5
On delivering her stillborn baby son when she was six months pregnant back in 1966, which she also details in her book Unbeaten: The Story of My Brutal Childhood, she went on: “I was very young, pregnant, I lost the baby, a little boy and I delivered him in a blue bowl, and then I buried him in the park. It was very sad.”
Describing the difficulties she faced at the time as a single pregnant woman with no support from her family, she later told Reveal: “Being an unmarried mother years ago was terribly shameful.
“You were a whore and a man would only marry a virgin. It was a very sad part of my life. I would never go back to visit the spot where it happened. That would just be too much. I couldn’t do it.”
Meanwhile, the controversial Loose Women segment this week has since sparked more than 3,200 complaints to broadcast regulator Ofcom. A spokesperson confirmed to Digital Spy that Ofcom was “assessing” whether Loose Women breached broadcasting standards.
Now thousands of people are calling for Loose Women to remove Coleen Nolan from the show following the incident, during which Coleen called Kim a “horrible, publicity-seeking witch” and “vile”.
A Loose Women representative said: “Kim agreed to come onto the panel today at the invitation of the producers on the understanding it was for reconciliation with Coleen.
“Kim becoming upset was never the intention and the panel did endeavour to comfort her. She was offered counselling after the show, which she declined.”
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.
Readers who are affected by the issues raised in this story are encouraged to contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 (www.nspcc.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline on (1-800-422-4453) or the American SPCC (www.americanspcc.org).
Source: Read Full Article