Loose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimia

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

A panellist on Loose Women has claimed that being transgender is fashionable with kids, like self-harming and bulimia.

The ITV show launched into a discussion of trans issues today ā€“ but appeared to demonstrate a lack of understanding among its own panellist.

Host Andrea McLean said: ā€œThereā€™s been a quadruple rise in the number of children who have been referred to the NHS because of transgender feelings.ā€
Loose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimia
ā€œTransgender is a word that has been bandied around an awful lot in the last 12 months or so, especially because of the Caitlyn Jenner case over in America.ā€

Confusing gender and sexuality, she added: ā€œOne case is wonderful and lovely, how accepting people are of fluid sexualityā€¦ but the is that young children are now questioning their sexuality and their gender at such a young ageā€¦ is that refreshing, or is it a worry.ā€

Nadia Sawalha added: ā€œLast year my step daughter told me the ā€˜inā€™ thing at school was self harming, and then before that it had been throwing up. You know, fashionable words that have been taken on.

ā€œThe other day, [my children] were playing, and we actually heard from the other room, ā€˜which one of us is going to be transgender?ā€™ ā€“ can you imagine that, even a year ago?ā€

She added: ā€œThe other day, [my husband] Mark went oh, I feel like a woman, and Kiki went: ā€˜Youā€™re not going to become a woman, are you?ā€™ā€¦ can you imagine when we were eight even thinking about that?ā€
Loose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimia
Gloria Hunniford said: ā€œYou can understand homosexuality, but when your child says Iā€™m transgender, is a whole new thing.ā€

The discussion did not go down well on social media, with Twitter users shocked by the apparent lack of research that has gone into the discussion.
Loose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimiaLoose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimiaLoose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimiaLoose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimiaLoose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimiaLoose Women panellist: Transgender is ‘fashionable’ with kids like self-harming and bulimia

It isnā€™t the first time the show has attracted attention.

Earlier this year, Coleen Nolan compared a cake supporting same-sex marriage to one supporting terrorist group ISIS.