Sam Quek Defends "Sexist" Comment When She Called Football Pundits "Beautiful"
11 June 2019, 09:05 | Updated: 11 June 2019, 09:15
Sports star Sam Quek has defended calling an all-woman World Cup presenting panel “beautiful”.
The female hockey star was accused of being sexist for her comment - but Nick Ferrari is baffled why the word beautiful is now on the banned list.
During the Women's World Cup, Ms Quek tweeted of the BBC panel Gabby Logan, Alex Scott, Hope Solo and Gemma Fay: "Has there ever been a more beautiful and competent presenting and punditry team?"
Has there ever been a more beautiful and competent presenting and punditry team? #ENGSCO #GirlPower #WWC2019 #WWC19 pic.twitter.com/0j1mZslqvR
— Samantha Quek (@SamanthaQuek) June 9, 2019
She found herself at the centre of a Twitter storm, with people claiming her comment was sexist, with one respondent asking: "Why do looks need to be referenced at all?"
But Ms Quek responded: "I can’t think of a single negative effect it would have on the four ladies to say whilst they aren’t only competent they also look beautiful.
"My Tweet was about them being beautiful and competent.
"I still fail to understand why I shouldn’t have said they were beautiful when the two are mutually exclusive? Much like if a flower is yellow and smells good, it’s colour has no link to it’s smell.
"Had it been all guys and I called them handsome no one would have minded. With true equality no one would have cared. It would have just been another compliment."
