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BBC Sport presenter Karthi Gnanasegaram, Sanjay Thakrar, Shiraz Boghani, chairman of the Splendid Hospitality Group, Ramniklal Solanki CBE and Kalpesh Solanki
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"I didn't know what sexy meant": Jennifer Love Hewitt reflects on being sexualized as a teenager
Jennifer Love Hewitt recalls the unsettling experience of becoming a sex symbol before she even understood what it meantGetty Images
As her career progressed, jokes about her body became normalised, especially after the release of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer'. Hewitt recalled how uncomfortable jokes about her body were common during interviews, with people laughing along as if it was a joke. “It didn’t register with me that this is a grown man talking to me and passing inappropriate comments about my body on national television,” she reflected. While she doesn’t blame anyone for the comments made at the time, she acknowledged that it was a period where such behaviour was accepted as the norm in Hollywood.
Looking back as an adult, Hewitt explained that when she reached her 30s, she began to evaluate her teenage years more critically. The environment back then made it difficult for her to recognise the inappropriateness of the sexualisation she faced. She also shared that watching the Britney Spears documentary helped her realise how deeply such experiences can affect someone.Today, Hewitt is grateful she didn’t internalise the objectification and expressed appreciation for how society’s views on body image have evolved. She hopes future generations won’t face the same level of sexualisation and that the industry continues to prioritise respect and awareness.
Football with Faris: Arsenal see red after shocking dismissal
Arsenal found themselves on the receiving end of yet another controversial refereeing call, this time away at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Gunners have now been awarded the most red cards this season, and those decisions were fairly debatable as to whether they should’ve stood. However, the decision at Molineux was categorically the wrong one, and the person who made that call was none other than Michael Oliver, supposedly the best referee this country has to offer.
Firstly, referees should receive criticism, but personal attacks and abuse, which Oliver has allegedly received, cross the line. However, it seems as though the media and refereeing board, PGMOL, are using this to deflect from accountability for poor refereeing decisions.
Eighteen-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly was left bemused as the victim of the decision. As Wolves looked to counter Arsenal’s corner, the young left-back appeared to trip Matt Doherty in the 43rd minute whilst the ball was still very much in the Wolves half. This tactical foul would surely warrant a yellow card rather than a red. The reasoning for the red was dangerous foul play for a high-studded challenge, but footage illustrated anything but that. Mistakes are part of the game, which is where you look towards VAR for help, but in this instance, VAR official Darren England upheld the on-field decision.
Justice prevailed
Fortunately for Arsenal, the red card didn’t impact the result. During the second half, they played with such intensity you’d have thought they still had 11 players on the pitch. Around the 70th minute, the game became a level playing field as Joao Gomes received a second yellow card for a challenge on Jurrien Timber, which was undoubtedly a far more dangerous tackle than Myles Lewis-Skelly’s and should’ve earned him a straight red and a three-match ban rather than one.
It was substitute left-back Ricardo Calafiori, who replaced Lewis-Skelly, that netted the winner on the half-volley in the 74th minute, rescuing Arsenal from a precarious situation alongside heroic saves from keeper David Raya. Following Arsenal’s appeal, the red card for Lewis-Skelly has since been rescinded, and his three-match ban has been rightly lifted, further proving just how ridiculous the decision was to begin with.
Reaction to the red card
There has been widespread scrutiny towards Michael Oliver’s blunder. Alan Shearer, who’s usually quick to begrudge Arsenal for complaining about referees, described it as one of the worst refereeing decisions he has ever seen. Arsenal legend Ian Wright also expressed his frustration on social media. Moreover, during the Ref Watch segment on Sky Sports, ex-referee Dermot Gallagher also admitted a yellow card should’ve been shown, which is significant as he usually rushes to defend referees after shocking officiating.
PGMOL lack accountability
With the news of a proposed Football Governance Bill that aims to bring an independent regulator to the English game, perhaps we should question whether the independent regulator’s remit should extend beyond the Premier League and also towards the PGMOL. This seems a good idea, not only due to poor refereeing standards and lack of accountability but also in light of the ex-referee David Coote scandal, where he was guilty of alleged substance abuse earlier this season, alongside a leaked video of him using vulgar language when speaking about Jurgen Klopp.
Perhaps with an entity to answer to, the PGMOL will be more cutthroat in response to poor officiating, rather than resting on their laurels and brushing incidents under the carpet.