Louise Thompson, the former Made In Chelsea star, has issued an emotional apology following backlash over comments she and her partner Ryan Libbey made about children starting school without being fully potty trained. The couple discussed the statistic that one in four children are sent to school before they are fully potty trained on their podcast He Said, She Said, with Thompson admitting the figure “shocked” her before laughing when Libbey said it was “a raw deal” for teachers.
The remarks sparked criticism from followers, who highlighted various reasons children may still be in nappies, including special educational needs (SEN). Thompson later apologised on social media, saying she had “tremendous admiration” for struggling mothers and that she was “so sorry” for upsetting anyone.
Potty training specialist Amanda Jenner, author of the new book Ready For My Potty, criticised Thompson’s comments, describing them as “Mean Girls” behaviour. Jenner told the Mirror: “I was very upset that she actually did that. I appreciate that she apologised, but I'd have expected better of her. The big cackle was like she was taking the p*** out of the children.”
Jenner, who invented the award-winning My Carry Potty and is a regular toddler expert on ITV, added: “It felt a bit Mean Girls. It upset me all day after I heard it. I just thought, you're a mum, you should know better, and it was mum shaming.” She noted that the SEN community reacted strongly, questioning whether Thompson would laugh at a child for not walking on time.
