Stacey Dooley has described the backlash to her new TV series about make-up as “painfully predictable” and accused critics of having a “short-sighted, Stone Age attitude”.
The Strictly Come Dancing star has recently been at the centre of a controversy after Labour MP David Lammy accused her of perpetuating “tired and unhelpful stereotypes” after she travelled to Uganda for a documentary ahead of Red Nose Day.
The politician said “the world does not need any more white saviours” after Dooley posted a snap from the trip with a child on Instagram, captioned: “OB.SESSSSSSSSSSED.”
Dooley hit back, saying: “Is the issue with me being white? (Genuine question) … because if that’s the case, you could always go over there and try raise awareness? Comic relief have raised over one billion pounds since they started. I saw projects that were saving lives with the money. Kids lives.”
She has also faced criticism over her new show Glow Up, a make-up competition for BBC Three, with some fans accusing her of doing “trivial” work instead of the hard-hitting BBC documentaries that made her famous.
For those tellin me you’re suddenly doing ‘trivial’ work…I’ve been filming stories covering rape, incest, drugs, murder and war for a decade.
It’s a privilege to cover these issues, but I also need to take time out to enjoy the lighter side of life.
— Stacey Dooley (@StaceyDooley) January 10, 2019
Responding to the backlash in an interview conducted before the Comic Relief controversy, she told the Mail On Sunday’s You magazine: “It’s painfully predictable. There are always people who are desperate to put you in one camp and never let you leave.
“The idea that you could be interested in the Yazidi community and also in lipstick blows people’s minds.
“It’s a really short-sighted, Stone Age attitude – it’s boring, actually.”
Asked if she has a temper, she said: “The older I get, the less reactive I’ve become. But if someone says something unkind I’ll pull them up on it.”
Dooley added that she feels she has nothing to prove after making more than 70 documentaries, which have taken her from war zones to sweatshops.
She said she has never had counselling, even though the BBC has offered it, adding: “But after all that, it seemed really important to be at home and enjoy some escapism. Anyway, I’ve earned my stripes; I don’t need to prove myself to anyone.”