Stacey Dooley says she cares about lipstick AND war zones as Comic Relief ‘white saviour’ row rolls on
STACEY Dooley says you can care about lipstick AND war zones after her Comic Relief “white saviour” row with Labour MP David Lammy.
The reporter and Strictly winner says in an interview – where she’s described as “the BBC’s new golden girl” – that she has been completely unfazed by such public spats.
Dooley, 31, told that she is able to juggle hard-hitting documentaries, like Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, on the clothing industry's damaging impact on the environment, and more “trivial” projects such as hosting Glow Up, a make-up contest on BBC Three.
On social media, though, she has been criticised for switching “from documentary maker to this”.
She tweeted in her defence: “For those telling me you’re suddenly doing ‘trivial’ work… I’ve been filming stories covering rape, incest, drugs, murder and war for a decade.
“It’s a privilege to cover these issues, but I also need to take time out to enjoy the lighter side of life.”
Commenting on the criticism over her shifting between serious documentaries and lighter entertainment work, Dooley told the MoS: “The idea that you could be interested in the Yazidi community and also in lipstick [in Glow Up] blows people’s minds.
“It’s a really short-sighted Stone Age attitude; it’s boring, actually.”
Dooley told the publication that she has "earned my stripes" and that she believes she doesn't "need to prove myself to anyone".
Speaking about Glow Up, which features aspiring make-up artists taking on various challenges, she said make-up should be "celebrated" as it's a "lucrative industry" and a "massive employer".
Dooley, who lives in Brighton and once sold duty-free perfume at Luton airport, has made more than 70 documentaries over the past decade, and has reported on "harrowing" stories, including in Mosul, Iraq.
She said that while there, she could "smell death; there were dead bodies on the ground and you had to walk relatively close to them because there were unexploded improvised explosive devices everywhere."
But the Strictly star was recently accused of “promoting unhelpful stereotypes” by Mr Lammy.
She became embroiled in a row with the Tottenham MP after he told her that she’s perpetuating a harmful narrative with her Comic Relief charity work.
The journalist sparked a backlash after sharing pictures of herself helping disadvantaged African kids for a new documentary that focuses on malaria and neonatal clinics.
Mr Lammy, 46, remarked that "the world does not need any more white saviours".
Her efforts were slammed by some of her fans, along with activism group No White Saviours, and the politician, who claimed her work was doing more harm than good.
However, Dooley suggested that Mr Lammy should travel to Uganda and "raise awareness" himself.
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