ITV Loose Women star addresses viewer backlash over 'not wearing a poppy'

An ITV Loose Women star has shared why she doesn't wear a poppy as she broke silence on a backlash to her choice. Charlene White, a leading ITV journalist and reporter, is one of the main panellists on the show and she regularly leads the panel.

Charlene previously revealed the real reason why she doesn't wear a poppy on air. On Friday, November 1, Charlene - a former I'm A Celebrity star - was joined in the ITV studio by Nadia Sawalha, comedian Judi Love and The Saturdays singer Frankie Bridge.

ICharlene said “We’ve got that Friday feeling guys. Welcome to your final Loose Women of the week and we definitely have that Friday feeling.” She added: “It’s the first of November, which means we are heading a lot closer to Christmas.”

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On Twitter/X, fans reacted - and savaged the star for not wearing a poppy ahead of Remembrance Sunday. Speaking previously, Charlene opened up on the choice and explained how she was ‘uncomfortable’ supporting just one charity above others.

She said: “I support and am patron of a number of charities, and due to impartiality rules, I am not allowed to visually support them all whilst presenting news programmes. That includes things like a red ribbon for World Aids Day, or a purple band for Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.

"Both these and many more charities do great things in the UK, but I'm not allowed to give them exposure on screen. So I feel uncomfortable supporting just one charity above all others, namely The Royal British Legion, but I fully support my colleagues who do choose to wear the poppy on screen.”

She said: "In my private life, it's very different. I wear a poppy on Armistice Day - in fact I wear one that my friend Jen's mum knitted for me a few years ago, she explained. “And I proudly have one of the ceramic poppies from the Tower Of London on my mantelpiece.

“So please don't think that I don't support the work that our service personnel do, or that I don't understand the sacrifices made by servicemen and women 100 years ago. I do.”