WATCH: Canadian news anchor calls out body shamer on live TV
News anchor was praised by netizens for standing up to body-shaming bullies online
December 10, 2023
A Canadian news anchor was appreciated online for directly calling out a viewer on live television for body shaming her, NDTV reported.
News anchor Leslie Horton was delivering her usual traffic report on Global News Morning Calgary when she addressed a viewer's email that criticised her appearance and questioned whether she was pregnant.
A user of X, formerly known as Twitter, shared a video of Horton on the social media platform, showing the moment when the news anchor called out the body shamer.
"I love this woman," the user captioned the video.
In the video, Horton took a moment to address the email directly, saying, "I'm just going to respond to an email that I just got saying, 'Congratulations on your pregnancy.'"
She continued, reading aloud the cruel message in the email: "If you're going to wear old bus driver pants, then you have to expect emails like this." "So, thanks for that," she replied sarcastically.
After that, she directly addressed the individual for criticising her outfit selection, saying: "No, I'm not pregnant. I actually lost my uterus to cancer last year. This is what women of my age look like. So, if it is offensive to you, that is unfortunate."
She concluded her on-air message: "Think about the emails that you send."
Social media users have praised Horton for her reaction, applauding her for encouraging self-acceptance and for standing up to body shaming.
"You're a cancer warrior and a champion for women everywhere! Keep doing what you're doing!" commented the Canadian Cancer Society.
"Cancer or no cancer, Leslie, you're fine in my book. Bump the haters if it's nothing of a positive nature; ignore it and keep doing you," wrote another user.
Regrettably, the popularity of digital and social media has given rise to body shaming of people who appear on screen.
When being featured in online content, celebrities, athletes, and even regular people frequently face unpleasant remarks about their bodies which negatively impacts their self-esteem and mental health.
