Ranveer Gill has issued an apology after Coeliac UK said it was ‘particularly disheartened’ by the Bake Off star’s comments, saying she was giving a ‘harmful message’ to the public about the autoimmune condition
Ravneet Gill talks about her mum having coeliac disease
Great British Bake Off star Ravneet Gill has been forced to issue an apology to fans after a leading coeliac charity said she gave a “harmful message” about the serious autoimmune condition.
Appearing on Bake Off spin-off show Extra Slice, pastry chef Ravneet, 33, was discussing the Bread Week challenge with hosts Jo Brand and Tom Allen.
The Junior Bake Off judge mentioned that her mum has the condition, saying: “Well, I love bread but my mum’s coeliac so she shouldn’t eat bread, but she still loves it, she still eats it.”
But Coeliac UK took issue with the comments, saying her remarks “trivialise” the “serious health condition”, and not a “food preference”.
They also said it can cause a host of long term conditions, with an open letter from the charity’s CEO, Hilary Croft, explaining: “Even the smallest crumb of gluten can cause severe symptoms, including debilitating pain, prolonged suffering and even recurrent miscarriage, as long-term health risks such as osteoporosis and, in rare cases, small bowel cancer.”
Mum-of-one Ravneet has since taken to her Instagram Stories to clear up the issue, admitting she should have chosen her words more carefully.
In the video, she says: “Hi, everybody. I hope you’re good. I wanted to come on here to address some comments I made on TV last week where I said that my mum is a coeliac and she eats bread.”
She continued: “I want to make it really clear that my intention was not in any way to cause any misinformation about the severity of coeliac disease or to downplay it at all. For that, I hold my hands up and that was really never my intention.”
Ravneet gave some context to her career, saying: “When I was in my twenties, I worked in London’s first gluten-free restaurant, long before platforms like YouTube and Instagram were as big, and I spent a lot of time educating myself. I also have spent the last year writing a lot more gluten-free recipes for the community in my Guardian column, and that’s because I get asked about them a lot.”
Apologising to her fans, she said: “I just want to circle back and let you know that I didn’t intend for those comments to cause harm, and the fact that they did really upset me, and I’m sorry about that. My mum, also, by the way, is not offended or upset with me, some of you have asked. And her dietary choices have sometimes caused a bit of friction between us and I made humour of that and I made light of it, and I should not have.”
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She added: “But, you know, in a fast-moving panel show, sometimes it’s hard and you can’t get your words out, and I should have provided more context. So, for those of you that follow me as well, you know me, and I would just like to say that I am going to work really hard to try my best to think a lot more carefully before I speak, especially on a TV show.”
In their previous open letter, Coeliac UK explained the severity of the condition, writing: “Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition where the ingestion of gluten triggers an immune response that damages the gut lining, leading to nutrient malabsorption and a host of potential health complications.”
The statement explained: “It is crucial to emphasise that coeliac disease is not a food preference or an allergy; it is a serious medical condition that requires lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet.”
They added that Ravneet’s comments “perpetuated a narrative that dismisses the severity of this condition.”
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