An influencer and disability activist has slammed an “offensive” Channel 4 presenter for reinforcing “ableist attitudes” towards physically disabled people in a new episode of Dispatches.
Holly April, 30, from Barnet, north London, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to highlight an “unacceptable” and “truly offensive” comment made by journalist Fraser Nelson about Britain’s benefits scandal which aired yesterday.
Holly, who goes by the name Stoma Babe on social media, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2020 and now wears a stoma, which is hidden behind her clothing, meaning many are unaware of her disability.
Sharing a clip from the show which aired on Monday night, where the presenter interviews single mum Amy, who has never had a full-time job due to her disability, Holly claimed the line of questioning was “perpetuating stereotypes harmful”.
She wrote: ‘This is unacceptable; Channel 4… you should reconsider airing a show that reinforces ableist attitudes.
‘It’s really offensive for your presenter to say ‘you’re articulate’ to someone with a physical disability. These comments devalue the individual and perpetuate harmful stereotypes.’
When Amy explained her disability and mental health issues to Fraser, he responded: “You look healthy, you’re very articulate, you can imagine someone looking at you and saying, ‘Look, here’s someone who looks perfectly fine to me, he doesn’t look like that.’ “She has been sick for a long time.”
Amy responded, “That’s the problem, right? Just because someone looks good doesn’t mean they are.” I use a cane for a reason. I don’t use it as a fashion accessory.
Holly April, 30, from Barnet, north London, took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to highlight an “unacceptable” and “truly offensive” comment made by journalist Fraser Nelson (pictured) about the scandal Britain’s earnings report that aired yesterday.
Early in the show, Amy admitted that she had never had a full-time job due to her lifelong disability.
She said: “I would like to have one, but the problem is finding something I can do constantly without my son suffering and me suffering and losing money.”
The 30-year-old revealed she dreamed of wanting to be a lawyer when she was at school, but when she was pregnant with her son Alfie she broke her pelvis.
She explained: ‘I needed fusion surgery to keep it in place, so I need a cane to move, otherwise it hurts, I’ll fall or I can’t walk in a certain direction.
‘I’m in pain all day, every day. I suffer from mental health issues as well as C-PTSD, anxiety and depression.
Many took to social media to echo Holly’s thoughts, however others claimed the influencer was “looking for something to get angry about.”
One person said: ‘I am eloquent. Then I don’t make any sense because of my meds or being asleep. I remember “articulate” being used against me for claiming PIP. Did I never say I wasn’t smart? Are disabled people meant to be?
Another added: ‘What are you waiting for? (Kathy Burke character) Waynetta Slob in a ‘leisure suit’? Then he could blame her even more for his situation!’
Sharing a clip from the show where the presenter interviews single mum Amy (pictured), who has never had a full-time job due to her disability, Holly claimed the line of questioning was “perpetuating harmful stereotypes”.
Many took to social media to echo Holly’s thoughts, however others claimed the influencer was “looking for something to get angry about.”
Meanwhile, another said: “Although it may have seemed insensitive as a good journalist @FraserNelson asked the questions he knew others wanted.” There are many who think that just because you can express yourself means you are okay to work, the question helped destroy the idea of what a disabled person is like.’
Another said: ‘OMG I was honestly trying to highlight that disabilities may not be obvious. This stinks of looking for something to get angry about. An incredibly bad shot, and this level of nitpicking puts people off. If you are looking for a backlash, by all means continue.”
This isn’t the first time Holly has spoken out to raise awareness about disabilities; In July he appeared on Good Morning Britain after a negative experience at a Taylor Swift concert.
Recalling the Taylor Swift concert she attended at Wembley Arena last month, Holly described being treated with “disdain by other fans” due to factors related to her hidden disability.
Speaking to presenters Kate Garraway and Adil Ray, April said she was urging venues to step up and invest more in making venues easier to use for people like her with disabilities that are not visible.
Holly explained that she has always been a big fan of the American singer and has previously attended her concerts and had good experiences.
“I’ve loved Taylor Swift since I was literally 14 and now I’m 30, so it’s been a long time,” she said.
‘I’ve been to some of their concerts before, so I was expecting something similar. They have always been very fun, inclusive and positive.
Holly appeared on Good Morning Britain in July to talk about hidden disabilities.
Holly, pictured in the Wembley area where she attended a Taylor Swift concert. She said she was “pushed and harassed” by other people who did not pay attention to her disability, even after she told them.
‘The reason I love Taylor Swift and go to her concerts is that I’ve always experienced a pretty positive atmosphere.
“We’re the Switfies, we’re supposed to support and encourage each other, that’s what the movement is all about.”
When asked what was wrong, Holly sighed and responded by saying that “so many things” had gone wrong during the three-hour performance.
She explained: “I live with a stoma bag and it fills up all the time, so access to toilets is crucial when you’re in a place like that.”
Holly had attended the concert with a friend and was placed in the VIP area, although the way she was treated by others was not as luxurious.
Holly said: “There were a lot of people there so it was really hard to get out of the crowd and even get to the toilet, but once I got there there was only one close to where I was.”
At Wembley Stadium there are 2,618 toilets, 147 of them for disabled users. However, Holly explained that the bathrooms were always busy and the disabled facilities were even worse.
“The line for that particular disabled bathroom was very, very long. So when people were in the disabled bathrooms, there were a lot of people knocking on the door saying things like ‘Hurry up, let’s go.’ So obviously the anxiety “I was through the roof.”
After her nightmarish experience trying to use the bathroom, her next challenge was to reunite with her friend, which was nearly impossible because fans tried to block her re-entry into the crowd.
“When I tried to go back to where my friend was, people just wouldn’t let me pass, even though I was wearing a lanyard.”
Holly wore a green medical lanyard to alert others to her hidden disability.
However, the details of the lace may have made it difficult to differentiate from others wearing similar laces, he acknowledged.
Show host Kate Garraway applauded Holly for her social media content, which works to end the stigma of stoma bag users.
Holly’s content aims to overturn the stigma by making stoma bag use feel as “normal” as possible.
Kate said the content showed that stoma bags come in different shapes and sizes, “which many find very powerful.”
However, he noted that the downside to this is that it can make living with the disability seem easier than it is.
“The flip side of you saying life can be the same is that it looks the same and you’re masking the challenges.”
Holly theorized that one of the reasons people might have behaved cruelly was the length of the show.
The social media star believes one of the reasons why people don’t recognize her disability is her glamorous appearance.
“I think it has a lot to do with my appearance. I’m a young woman who wears a lot of makeup and wears nice clothes, people can’t associate that with disability, it’s almost like there’s a disconnect there.
“In some people’s minds, they have an image of what a disabled person looks like, and obviously the signage that’s in most places doesn’t help that – a person in a wheelchair.”
‘People think people can’t associate disabilities with people like me.
“I have to acknowledge my privilege because, with people with disabilities, it’s extraordinarily difficult to get accessible tickets.”