Charlene White was seen interrupting Kelly Brook during a fiery political debate on Thursday's episode of ITV's Loose Women. The newsreader was anchoring the lunchtime show as panellists discussed the government's plan to lower the voting age to 16 for general elections.
When Kelly Brook tried to argue that people's voting stances can change with life experience, suggesting that teenagers might not yet have the perspective of someone affected by the care system or running a business, Charlene repeatedly shouted 'Kel, Kel, Kel, so what I'm saying is' over her. Kelly eventually conceded that voting needs change but added 'So that's why 18-year-olds shouldn't be voting.' She then questioned why the move hadn't happened sooner, but Charlene cut in again to bring Linda Robson into the conversation.
Viewers took to social media to vent their frustration. One wrote 'it's all kicking off on #loosewomen', while another championed Kelly: 'Go on Kelly Brook let her finish Charlene'. Another complained that Charlene had been 'too loud' and told her to 'shut up', though one viewer claimed Kelly had been 'way out of her depth'.
The debate comes after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced plans to lower the voting age to 16 for general elections, calling it a 'generational step forward'. The move would also tighten rules on foreign donations and introduce UK-issued bank cards as acceptable voter ID. Minister for Democracy Rushanara Ali said the reforms represent the biggest change to the electoral system since 1969.
Harry Quilter-Pinner of the IPPR think-tank described the policy as 'the biggest reform to our electoral system since 1969' and said it was 'a vital step toward rebuilding confidence'. Green Party MP Ellie Chowns also backed the change but called for further reforms such as scrapping the House of Lords and introducing proportional representation.
