Jan Leeming quits social media and says 'I should have kept my thoughts to myself' after receiving 'vile abuse' amid Charlene White row

Jan Leeming has quit social media after receiving 'vile abuse' in response to her criticism of ITV presenter Charlene White.

The veteran broadcaster, 84, 'voiced an opinion' on ITV News and Loose Women star Charlene, 46, in posts shared to X on Tuesday, branding her 'condescending' and adding that she 'doesn't hack it as a newsreader'.

Charlene responded to the comment, writing that she was 'surprised' to hear Jan's views after 'looking up to her as a child'.

The row then escalated as Jan replied on X with the claim that she feels 'it's far easier for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic people (BAME) to get ahead'.

By Wednesday morning Jan announced she was quitting social media 'for the next few days', admitting she 'should have kept my thoughts to myself'. 

'I made a comment -should have kept my thoughts to myself. I’ve now been on receiving end of far more nastiness and personal abuse than was warranted by making a comment on style,' she wrote on X. 'To bring my personal life into the equation was below the belt'.

'Won’t be using account for next few days. Was unwise to make a comment about style but don’t believe it warranted vile abuse. Believe me I received far worse criticism and nastiness from, mostly female, journalists in my heyday.' 

Hours earlier Jan doubled down on her stance, insisting that 'Charlene has earned her spurs as a journalist but that doesn’t make her a good presenter. I am not and never was a journalist. I was a presenter/interviewer,' adding: 'I forget that we are no longer allowed free speech in this country.' 

After seeing Jan's initial post, Charlene replied on Tuesday night with a post on X, reading: 'Very surprising to see a presenter I admired as a kid deciding to slate me on social media.

'In an industry where women, especially black women, have had to work incredibly hard to get ahead, this type of disrespect from a fellow female journo feels like s’thing from a bygone era.'

Jan then hit back: 'I said I didn’t know how good you are as a journalist but I find your delivery condescending. It has nothing to do with colour. 

'Actually I believe it is far easier these days for BAME people to get ahead in all walks of life. It was only an opinion and my apologies to you.'

In a later post, Jan responded to one user referencing the Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who has recently resigned from his position after being at the centre of a plagiarism row.

She said: 'That is an extreme case. But if one did a headcount in Television I think one might find a disproportionate ratio of BAME people relevant to their overall proportion in the population. Same goes for female representation. Only saying.'

Jan worked as a BBC presenter between 1969 and 1987 – including a stint as a newsreader from 1980.

Recently the broadcaster, who has also appeared on a string of reality shows including I'm A Celeb, has taken to criticising the new generation of presenters. 

On Tuesday, Jan took aim at Charlene, 46, who has fronted ITV News since 2008, and been a guest host on Loose Women since 2020.

She said in her original post: 'Wish ITV's Charlene would stop addressing us as if we were children. She has such a condescending style.'

'Don't know whether or not she is an excellent journalist but don't think she hacks it as a newsreader. It may look an easy job but not all are as good as Mary Nightingale.'

She also stated: 'One conveys emotion by tone of voice NOT by heavily stressing lots of words.'

In another tweet, Leeming added of Charlene's ITV News colleague: 'I also like Lucrezia Millarini. They both dress appropriately.' 

When it was pointed out to Leeming that White is also a Loose Women presenter, she replied: 'Never watched it.'

Last year Leeming took a swipe at the current generation of newsreaders in general, criticising their pronunciation, mumbled speech and heavy accents.

She wrote on X: 'Am I just showing my age being so picky, but surely a national newsreader should be aware of correct pronunciation.

'Just heard 'grievious' twice from an ITV newsreader. The word is grievous. The other is mischievious - it's mischievous - three syllables not four.

'We had spelling tests every week. I suppose today one doesn't have to bother. AI and predictive texting will do it all for you.

'You still have to speak with correct pronunciation and clarity. Have given up on mumbled speech and heavy accents and hope I'll get the gist eventually.

''Ss' for the presenters and newsreaders who cannot pronounce fifth and sixth - even some of my favourites. Oh, don't forget February and jewellery.

'If you aren't taught and corrected, then you perpetuate the incorrect pronunciation. And the ubiquitous 'like' used every few words by a large proportion of the young. It is lazy.'

Leeming has also used her X account to criticise 21st-century parenting, sparking a fierce debate with one post in February.

The five-times married star, who has one son with her third husband, launched an attack against families bringing young children into upmarket restaurants. 

Leeming told how she went to a branch of The Pig in the village of Bridge in Kent, to treat a friend to a birthday dinner.

She posted to the site: 'Perhaps this shows my age. I took a friend as a birthday present to lunch at the Pig at Bridge - not inexpensive.

'Lovely ambiance - slightly spoiled by a screaming child at lunch. When I paid and remonstrated, was treated as though I were the one at fault.'

She followed up by saying: 'Don’t think a traditional pub is the place for children. Also in the evening surely young children should be in bed. Cost of baby sitting should be factored into cost of the outing.'

Leeming added: 'When paying the receptionist, she treated me as though I was out of order.

'She defended parents bringing children to the restaurant - there were three. If you can afford to eat there, get a babysitter!'