Katie Hopkins has been called out by a number of creators for her “mean” rant in which she mocked people with limb loss and differences whilst making gagging noises.
Katie Hopkins is being slammed by a number of TikTok creators after going on a horrific rant about seeing people with limb differences on TV. The controversial commentator used her social platform to berate and mock people with missing limbs and limb differences whilst making gagging noises and using a slur that referred to people with disabilities.
The 50 year-old TV personality is known for voicing divisive opinions and is no stranger to controversy. In this latest round, the former columnist, who rose to fame on The Apprentice and later on Celebrity Big brother, went on a scathing rant about presenters with limb differences appearing on TV.
In the five-minute video captured from a longer livestream, she repeatedly refers to people with shortened or missing arms in a derogatory manner whilst folding her arm at the elbow and crudely imitating the limb difference. She opens her tirade claiming: “You can’t get away from the stumpy arms,” implying that she believes that disabled people are on the BBC “too much”.
READ MORE: Celebrity Big Brother’s brutal twist that will pit housemates against each other from week one
Throughout the vitriolic rant, she makes gagging noises and describes a person with a limb difference’s arm as looking like “the end of one of those smoked sausages” or a “cat’s bum hole”. Hopkins refers to her own epilepsy diagnosis and previous surgery to treat the condition, using a disability slur to describe herself.
She cited her disorder as reason she is “allowed” to make fun of others with disabilities. Hopkins also singles out disabled Gardener’s World presenter and RHS disability ambassador Sue Kent, as well as tennis commentator Andy Stevenson, as examples of the BBC “having people with a stumpy arm doing things you wouldn’t be able to do with a stumpy arm”.
Now, a group of creators with limb differences have taken to social media to hit back at the ex-Big Brother contestant’s cruel rant. India Sasha, who has over 108K followers on Instagram, posted her own witty video response to Hopkin’s comments. The 25 year-old said in the clap-back: “You literally make being mean your whole personality, have you got nothing else?”
She went onto address the the former columnist, saying: “You were mean, you were hurtful, and the worst part? You weren’t even funny. I never grew up seeing anyone like me represented on TV… I thought I was alone so thank god the BBC are having people with disabilities, with limb differences, on the TV.”
The young content creator turned actor, known for her funny videos and self-deprecating sense of humour, encouraged others with limb differences to feel proud and confident in their own skin. She warned Hopkins: “The things you say can have a really harmful effect on the next generation, on their mental health, how they see themselves, how other people see them, how other people treat them.
“Do you live to do that?” she added. “Is that what you want to do with your life? At the end of the day, people like Katy Hopkins, their voices have no power any more.”
She wrote in the caption of her video: “As a child, I thought the worst of myself, I thought how she thought, and do you know what that did for me? NOTHING. I stood up for myself and decided while I’m on this earth, I will enjoy it. We have one life, so regardless of the hand you’re dealt, make the most of it! The only thing she has, and make the most of, is that she is already hated by the nation.. so she’s leaning into the hateful comments. Her voice has no weight on your worth.”
India Sasha wasn’t the only one to slam Katie’ video as April Lockhart, who uses her platform to encourage others to not feel ashamed of their own limb differences and disabilities, took to TikTok to share her own thoughts. She stitched part of Hopkins video, responding: “This is why normalising limb differences is so important to me… this is why I do what I do. The more you see it, the more normal it becomes, its not taboo, its not weird.”
In the heartfelt video, which has been liked over 400k times, April shared her own experiences as a youngster having been born with part of her arm missing. She said: “People will always be ignorant. It’s frustrating and it’s hurtful but let this be fuel for you to keep showing up as your full self. Roll up your sleeves, show your prosthetics. For years and years of my life I hid and it wasn’t helping me and it wasn’t helping anyone else. It helps people to see you up close.”
Children’s author Cerrie Burnell also weighed in, bringing attention to the fact that April limb loss and limb difference awareness month. Describing herself as an ambassador for change, the former CBeebies presenter took a humorous approach to responding to Katie, suggesting that she may in fact be “scared” of limb difference and that she needs to “expand her learning”.
The quick-witted creator pointed Hopkins in the direction of a Reach, a charity who “empower children and young people with an upper limb difference to live a life beyond limits”, and resources they may have that could help her learn more.
She said: “As a wealthy white woman, you could even make a donation [to the charity]. It is also really important to remember that the disabled population in the UK are 1 in 5 and limb loss and limb difference fall in that statistic. The brilliant thing about limb losses is it could happen to anyone! It could even happen to you.”
In what one user praised as a “parent talking to a child” tone, Cerrie used her iconic children’s TV presenter voice to address Hopkins. She even mentioned Hopkin’s previous referral to her own daughter, who she has previously claimed is “on the [autistic] spectrum” and described as “genetically different”, advising her that she therefore must acknowledge the importance of “extending compassion to all disabilities no matter how they manifest.”
Cerrie finalised her response by saying: “This April, instead of being really disgruntled about our limb differences, maybe you could spend that time nurturing and engaging with and cherishing the disabled children and relatives and people within your own community and let us live our best lives!”
Each of the creators received overwhelming praise and support in the comments of their videos and many others have used social media to air their thoughts on Hopkin’s “attention-seeking” and “hateful” video.
For more information about living with a limb difference and access to resources, visit the Reach charity website here.
