Angela Scanlon, the newly appointed Eurovision host, has made a grim confession about her own safety while walking in the dark, as she throws her support behind social media restrictions for under 16s. The Strictly Come Dancing star says more must be done to protect women and girls.
Angela Scanlon's Personal Safety Fears
New polling from YouGov reveals that nine out of ten women have reported feeling unsafe while walking after dark. Angela Scanlon, 42, told the Mirror that she is among them. “As a woman you have a fake phone call in the back of a taxi. You hold your keys between your fingers as you’re running to the door,” she said. “I don't think there’s any woman on the planet who hasn’t experienced being afraid walking home in the dark - or not the dark for that matter.”
The research also found that one in three young women are put off walking locally due to personal safety fears, and seven in ten have changed their route to avoid walking in the dark during winter. In response, Active Travel England (ATE) has announced new government guidance to councils to improve street safety for women and girls, addressing inadequate lighting, poorly maintained routes, and antisocial behaviour.
Support for New Catcalling Legislation
Angela, who presents the Get A Grip podcast with Vicky Pattison, says the changes are overdue. “Friends of mine who run a lot have to be strategic. It’s not paranoia or hypersensitivity, that’s women knowing that there is a risk,” she said. As of April, a new law targeting harassment of women and girls in public has been passed, making catcalling, following, and intimidation punishable by up to two years in prison.
Jess Phillips, former Minister for Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls, said: “If you think that shouting at a teenage girl in a school uniform from your van about her appearance doesn’t make her walk a different way home, doesn’t make her think every time she sees a van and jump – it makes her change her behaviour. I want this shame to change sides.”
Angela welcomes the legislation: “Catcalling has now been made illegal and it’s a definite move in the right direction. I think it’s great. It’s tough because it's on a spectrum but I think anything that helps men to check their behaviour can only be a good thing.”
Campaign for Women's Solidarity
Angela is the face of a new Maltesers campaign highlighting the silent solidarity between women. New data from the brand, polling 2000 UK women, found that 68% of women can tell what another woman is thinking just by looking at her, 89% use an unspoken “Sisterhood Code” to communicate and support each other, and 50% have experienced this connection even with complete strangers.
“Women are the real protectors of women,” said Angela. “Conversations come up, and I think men are still like, ‘What do you mean?’ But for women, safety is a very real issue - and one every woman understands. I’ve become more street wise and I've gotten older. I follow my instincts more. For years I thought, I don't want to make him think I'm a weirdo. But if I sense anything now, attack is the best form of defence. I yell.”
Fears for Her Daughters
Angela, who lives in North London with her husband Roy Horgan and their two daughters Ruby, eight, and Marnie, six, worries about their safety. “It’s hard isn't it? We’re hyper aware. I’m one of four girls and now I realise my mum must have been worried all the time. I think that's maybe just the gig being a parent, you worry,” she said.
“I try to build my girls up and allow them to be wild spirited strong feisty little rips, which when I'm trying to call bedtime doesn't always go down very well. But sharpen your elbows babes, let's go. I try to remind them that they can do whatever the hell they want. Just get stuck in. But I can't watch the news. I become so consumed by everything. I put a buffer around myself, maybe it's delusion or denial. The world is scary but also magical.”
Call for Social Media Ban for Under 16s
Angela also supports social media restrictions for under 16s, following Australia's ban. A Mirror poll found 66% of readers favour restrictions. Angela, an active Instagram user with 505,000 followers, said she would welcome a total ban. Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the Mirror: “Every parent knows this is a real and growing concern. The way our children are using social media is changing fast, and too often it is happening without the right protections in place.”
Angela added: “I love it, I fully support restrictions - and in fact, a total ban. It’s very tricky because we’re the guinea pigs - this generation - but there’s too much evidence which points to how bad social media is. People my age had childhoods without phones until a certain age. But there’s plenty of research now as to what early interaction with phones and social media can do to young people.”
“It’s the way of the world, and that is what we say to soothe ourselves. But the peer pressure thing is very real for children, and I think parent’s need help to combat it. When one child has social media and another doesn’t, the latter might feel left out. I think it's easier for parents to collectively go, no, it’s not a thing.”
“A collective ban is really the only way. Much like a toddler who really wants to mainline ice cream, as a parent you have to withstand the kicking and screaming and just say no. And with restrictions that no will be easier to say. Come on Keir Starmer, let’s do it for the kids.”
