ITV newsreader and Loose Women anchor Charlene White said she was the target of abuse for several days, after a personal decision sparked backlash
Charlene White has opened up about her own experience of shedding tears at work, following Rachel Reeves' emotional moment last week. The Chancellor made headlines when she was spotted wiping away tears behind Prime Minister Keir Starmer, during a session in the House of Commons last Wednesday.
Later addressing her emotional state, she attributed it to "personal reasons" and claimed that it had been "a tough day".
In her latest column for the i Paper, the Loose Women presenter confessed to understanding the struggle of fighting back tears in the workplace.
Remembering an incident from 2013, the 45-year-old said English Defence League supporters sent her abuse after she chose not to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day.
"I've explained my reasons why [I don't wear one], and that I come from a forces family," she clarified.
"I wear a poppy in my private life, I donate to the Royal British Legion, and I think their work is incredible."
Despite initially trying to brush off the criticism, Charlene recalled how the relentless racist abuse over several days eventually wore her down.
"By the time Monday came, and another day at work, the abusive tweets had reached the hundreds. It included a 'sack the s**g' campaign, which encouraged people to sign a petition and call in to ITV demanding my removal," she reflected.
Charlene was later advised to draft a statement explaining her decision not to wear a poppy, though claimed some bosses stopped her from publishing it at the time.
The following day, the presenter said she was advised to ignore the abuse as "it would blow over".
"It was at that point, for the first time in my working life, I burst into tears in my boss' office, unable to cope with the weight of the abuse of the previous days," she added.
Charlene revealed that as soon as she began crying, she "frantically" tried to wipe away her tears, and hide her emotions from those who could see her.
"Despite everything that had happened, I was terrified about how the tears would make me look," she added.
Charlene also feared that she might lose her job, thinking she had shown a sign of weakness.
"Robin, [her managing editor at the time] though naturally shocked by my tears, sat with me as I cried and calmed me down," she continued.
"That moment was a turning point in what had been an awful few days.
"He and my then boss, Geoff, made the decision to post my statement irrespective of what they'd been instructed, and the whole saga turned a corner."
Fast forward the years, and Charlene said she has noticed a difference in the way emotions are viewed.
The presenter believes there are now "many of us [who] stress less about the minutiae of tears", adding: "Because, shocker, it's not a reflection of how good women are at ours jobs and I'm here for it."
