Comedy star Lucy Beaumont has hit out at the high street jewellery shop Claires and called for a boycott of the chain for allowing parents to pierce the ears of their babies
Comedy star Lucy Beaumont has sparked debate online after slamming Claire’s for allowing parents to bring babies into their stores to have their ears pierced.
The 40-year-old TV star – who recently announced she has split from husband Jon Richardson, 41 after nine years of marriage – has demanded a boycott of the high street jewellery shop after taking huge offence to infants being pierces. Lucy, who shares a seven-year-old daughter with Jon, says she has been moved to speak out after seeing babies becoming alarmed by the piercing process.
Piercing babies is a cultural tradition in some parts of the world, but is largely mainstream the world over as some parents choose to pierce their baby’s ears at a young age. But Lucy is clearly of the mind that parents should be banned from doing so – and even thinks companies that allow the practice should be denied trade.
She made her views clear for all on Saturday when she took to social media to lash out over the practice. Taking to X, the TV star said: “Why isn’t it illegal to pierce a baby’s ears? @claires … I’d like to boycott them to make it stop, it’s mental, I recently saw a baby go from smiley and happy to in complete shock and in pain.. plus the risk of infection. Babies don’t need earrings! #boycottclairesaccesories.”
Her outburst received some support – with one writing: “I’ve been in Claire’s in Bromley while a baby is having their ears pierced. It was the most heartbreaking cry … If I see someone come in to have it done I now immediately leave.”
Lucy sympathised with this opinion and commented: “I’ve left @claires numerous times to the sound of high pitched piercing cries that you hear echo in shopping centres – sat on a parents knee- sometimes they like to do it next to the window so you can look in and see it happen, isn’t it time to make it illegal? @NSPCC.”
Another follower reacted to comment: “I complained once after watching a toddler basically get held down. Response was basically a shrug.” And this promoted Lucy to remark: “Mental @claires.” And a further fan commented: “Body piercing should require the informed consent of the person whose body it is.”
But others have argued in defence of piercing at a young age – with one hitting back to argue: “Babies scream when they have their jabs and get over it pretty quickly. I’ve had my ears pierced since I was a baby and I’m absolutely fine, no PTSD, nothing.”
In England and Wales, there is no age limit when it comes to piercing – however, it could be considered an offence if intimate parts of the body of those under the age of 16 are pierced. In Scotland, the law is different and there is a requirement for age of consent at the age of 16.
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