This Morning's resident agony aunt, Deidre Sanders, has been criticised by viewers who labelled her advice on dealing with childhood bullying as 'out of touch' and 'confrontational'. The backlash erupted during a segment on the popular ITV daytime show where Sanders responded to callers seeking help for their children.
Viewers React to 'Confrontational' TikTok Exchange
During the segment, one concerned mother phoned in to explain that her daughter, who had just started secondary school in September, was being targeted by a 'hate account' on TikTok. In response, Deidre Sanders questioned why the child had a TikTok account at all, pointing out that the platform's minimum age requirement is 13, which is typically the age a child turns during their second year of secondary school.
This line of questioning did not sit well with the show's audience. Fans quickly took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to express their disapproval. One viewer commented, "Deidre's being weirdly confrontational in this segment. 'My daughter's being bullied on Tiktok' 'Well, she's not old enough to be on Tiktok'."
Another critic highlighted a perceived disconnect, stating, "Just because there’s a minimum age for a TikTok account doesn’t mean children younger don’t use it! Deidre clearly out of touch."
Widespread Criticism of 'Vague' Advice
The unhappiness with the panel's guidance extended beyond the TikTok discussion. As Deidre Sanders and the show's presenters, Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, offered more advice to other parents, the criticism continued to mount online.
One social media user described the counsel given as completely unhelpful, writing, "They are not helping at all! Terrible and vague advice." Another simply called it the "Worse bit of advice ever." The overall sentiment from fans was that the advice provided was insufficient and failed to address the real-world complexities of modern bullying.
Deidre's Personal Connection to Loss
Deidre Sanders, who hosts the Dear Deidre segment on This Morning, has previously spoken openly about her own personal struggles. Earlier this year, she was moved to tears while speaking with a caller named Allan, who was dealing with loneliness after the death of his husband.
She revealed her own empathy for his situation, stating, "I obviously completely empathise with that because I've been through the same thing myself." She went on to say, "I really do sympathise, Allan. I do know how hard it is when you've lost a partner, particularly one that made you laugh a lot. Mine did too."
Her husband, Rick, passed away in December 2022. In a poignant detail, Deidre had previously shared that she learned of her MBE for services to charity and mental health just days before his death, describing it as "really special" that they could share that news together.
