What did Vanessa Feltz say about coeliac disease? TV personality issues response after backlash over her “irresponsible remarks”

English television personality and broadcaster Vanessa Feltz has issued an apology after making "irresponsible" comments about coeliac disease during an appearance on Monday’s edition of This Morning.

According to NHS, coeliac disease is a condition where a person's immune system attacks their own tissues when they eat gluten. On December 18, 2023, a caller, Alison, complained on the show that she was “being forced to have a gluten-free Christmas“ by her mother-in-law because one of the family members was coeliac.

Vanessa spoke about the situation when Alison said she was not even allowed to bring her own food. The former responded by addressing the mother-in-law:

"So she's treating coeliac disease as if it's a kind of fatal, potentially fatal peanut allergy and that they can't have anything with gluten in the house, which is completely unreasonable."

She received a lot of backlash from viewers of This Morning, and eventually apologized on her drivetime show, Talk TV, on Tuesday.

Ofcom, the government-approved regulatory and competition authority for broadcasting, announced that Ms Feltz's comments had quickly become one of 2023's most complained-about moments, as per Metro.

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Vanessa Feltz clears the air after coeliac comments on This Morning, says she did not intend to disrespect anyone

Vanessa Feltz was born on February 21, 1962, in London, England. She has appeared on numerous television shows in her career, including Vanessa, The Big Breakfast, The Vanessa Show, Celebrity Big Brother, This Morning, and many more.

Vanessa Feltz appeared on This Morning on Monday, along with guest hosts Craig Doyle and Josie Gibson. During an advice phone-in session, the television personality spoke to a caller named Alison.

She detailed her issue of being forced to have a gluten-free Christmas meal at her in-law's house, as per HuffPost. Alison added that she has a daughter, 15, who is a "bit of a fussy eater".

The caller's mother-in-law had asked guests not to bring other meals and enjoy food without gluten on Christmas because one of the family members had coeliac disease.

If the member consumed any gluten, their immune system would attack their tissues. Vanessa Feltz called the situation "completely unreasonable" and asked:

"That is not reasonable Alison at all. The thing is though, if you say to her, 'Look, he can have gluten-free, we don't have to, it's not catching.' What will she say? How will she respond?"

Alison replied that the mother-in-law would say "that I'm ignorant to the facts and tell me to read up on it." Vanessa Feltz compared the disease to a peanut allergy, explaining that the latter was fatal while the other was not. She added:

"But you're not and she's wrong, I mean she's just unequivocally wrong about that. Completely wrong."

The broadcaster advised the caller to go to the party after having a light snack and "eat in the car on the way home" but to not have a "fall out with your mother-in-law over a bit of gluten."

Vanessa's comments did not sit right with a lot of viewers and they sent in calls to This Morning.

She stated on her drivetime show, Talk TV, on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, saying:

'I found myself at the center of a social media storm this week, I'll be addressing that next. I said what I said there, but then I added that you should go in the spirit of Christmas and enjoy a gluten-free meal anyway. I did not suggest that they put the coeliac in harm's way nor did I intend to show in any shape of form any disrespect to any one with coeliac disease."

She responded to the viewers just as Ofcom announced they had received 1,092 complaints, as per The Independent.