Kirstie Allsopp defends travelling with her partner AFTER he tested positive for COVID-19
‘There are people who are always going to believe I did the wrong thing’: Kirstie Allsopp defends relocating to her Devon home with partner Ben Andersen AFTER he tested positive for COVID-19
- The Location, Location, Location presenter, 49, has denied breaking lockdown rules earlier in the year after travelling to another home
- She told the latest edition of Radio Times they travelled to the Devon property as a precautionary measure so he wouldn’t infect others
- ‘When Ben was diagnosed with COVID, we weren’t at home, either in London or Devon. We were somewhere else,’ she said
- The daughter of Charles Henry Allsopp, sixth Baron Hindlip, said she was ‘very angered by the concept that people think privilege strips you of empathy’
- Kirstie sparked a Twitter storm in March, with Piers Morgan among those calling the star out online after she complained she was being trolled over the incident
Kirstie Allsopp has denied breaking lockdown rules earlier in the year after travelling to another home despite her partner testing positive for COVID-19.
The Location, Location, Location presenter, 49, was accused of potentially spreading the virus by journeying to one of her homes in Devon to isolate when partner Ben Andersen already had symptoms.
But she has since defended her actions, telling the latest edition of Radio Times they travelled to the property as a precautionary measure so he wouldn’t infect others.
Lockdown: Kirstie Allsopp has denied breaking lockdown rules earlier in the year after travelling to another home despite her partner testing positive for COVID-19
‘When Ben was diagnosed with COVID, we weren’t at home, either in London or Devon. We were somewhere else,’ she said.
‘Because Ben was infectious, we went to Devon, where there’s 40 acres and we wouldn’t infect anyone else.’
She added: ‘There are loads of people who are always going to believe I did the wrong thing,” she said of the trip, during the first lockdown.
‘I did not go to Devon (from London) after lockdown. We went to isolate.’
Couple: The presenter, 49, was accused of potentially spreading the virus by journeying to one of her homes in Devon to isolate when partner Ben Andersen already had symptoms
Travel: But she has since defended her actions, telling the latest edition of Radio Times they travelled to the property as a precautionary measure so he wouldn’t infect others
And Allsopp, the daughter of Charles Henry Allsopp, sixth Baron Hindlip, said she was “very angered by the concept that people think privilege strips you of empathy.
‘It drives me mad,’ she said. ‘Death is death, grief is grief, loss is loss, fear is fear. Money absolutely makes life easier.’
‘But it doesn’t mean that I’m not aware of all the people who have lost their jobs this year and who have no idea when they will find another one.
‘Or those marriages that just won’t make it through another lockdown. I’m fully aware of how many people are struggling right now.’
Taking to Twitter in March with a furious rant, Kirstie lashed out after a story was published claiming she was residing in a holiday home in Devon.
Trolled: Taking to Twitter in March with a furious rant, Kirstie lashed out after the story was published claiming she was residing in a holiday home in Devon
The Location, Location, Location host was quick to clear up the confusion, revealing that she has two homes in Devon, but she had been staying in her permanent residence with her family.
After a follower tweeted: ‘Why r u in Devon !! Shameful @KirstieMAllsopp’; Kirstie was quick to hit back: ‘Because it is my home.
‘I am not in North Devon where I do have a holiday home. Two things totally different.’
She added to another follower: ‘I’m not on holiday I am in my home. I’m sorry you have been misinformed. I am dealing with those who have spread these false rumours.’
Spat! Kirstie sparked aTwitter storm, with Piers Morgan among those calling the star out online after she complained she was being trolled
Kirstie also complained that she was being trolled over the confusion, tweeting at the time: ‘The last 24 hours has been utterly horrible, full of vile, unpleasant and frankly frightening comments.’
Kirstie sparked aTwitter storm, with Piers Morgan among those calling the star out online after she complained she was being trolled.
He responded: ‘Kirstie, you’re rich, privileged and isolating in a lavish country home with your family.
‘Maybe stop making this crisis about your struggle with trolls and direct your energy into rallying support for NHS workers risking their lives for us all in very dangerous circumstances?’
Fiery: The Good Morning Britain star, 55, and Location, Location, Location presenter, 49, had a fiery debate on the chat show earlier this year over their polarising views on the coronavirus pandemic (pictured)
Calling out: While Piers called out Kirstie on Twitter in March after she complained she was being trolled over confusion over her two homes in Devon during the height of lockdown
The GMB star has since claimed that the property presenter got ITV executives to ring him up in an attempt to make him apologise to her.
Piers said it was a ‘very short phone call’ and he told bosses that he is ‘entitled to his opinion’ and will ‘keep saying it’, which they accepted.
Talking to Mirror last month, he said: ‘She got a load of TV execs to call me up trying to get me to stop and apologise.
‘I was like, ”You’ve got to be joking”. It was a very short phone call. I said, ”I’m entitled to my opinion and I intend to keep saying it”, which they accepted.’
More drama: Meanwhile, in May Kirstie again fired back after being accused of risking infecting locals after bringing a camera crew to her home amid the coronavirus lockdown
Piers added: ‘Everyone’s going to have an opinion but you should respect opinions you don’t agree with.’
Meanwhile, in May Kirstie again fired back after being accused of risking infecting locals after bringing a camera crew to her home amid the coronavirus lockdown.
The TV star, 48, filmed her Channel 4 show Kirstie: Keep Crafting and Carry On with an eight-member crew at her home in Devon.
Kirstie took to social media and insisted that the crew filmed under ‘strict protocols’ and said she felt carrying on with filming was the right thing to do.
She wrote: ‘I now know for certain that many of you felt filming at home as we did, within strict protocols, was the right thing to do #Craftmatters. Entertaining TV matters, and I’m proud of what we did.’
Filming: Kirstie took to social media and insisted that the crew filmed under ‘strict protocols’ and said she felt carrying on with filming was the right thing to do
In another tweet, Kirstie said making the show was a positive experience and kept crew members in work at a time of job insecurity.
Interview: The full interview with Kirsty is in Radio Times magazine, out now
She wrote: ‘What I HATE about this is that makng #KeepCraftingCarryon was only positive, it kept people in work, it provided something new and engaging to watch, so many families saw it and enjoyed making the crafts, why do people have to make bad out of good?!’
According to The Sun, one local in Broadhembury, Devon said of the show being filmed nearby: ‘Many of us are elderly. It’s highly irresponsible’.
However, Kirstie insisted that the crew members remained at her home at all times during the ten-episode series.
She said: ‘No one who was filming here went anywhere near the village. We are encouraging people to stay at home and be adaptive for their mental health — and for fun.’
The full interview is in Radio Times magazine, out now.
