Katie Hopkins tells HuffPostUK she welcomes the privatisation of the National Health Service, which she’s convinced will happen before her children grow up.
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The columnist continued her crusade against obesity on Saturday night on TLC channel, which included her visiting a warehouse full of oversized coffins, what she describes as ‘Big Berthas’ - previously, she explained to us why she’ll stop banging her drum against fat people the minute the NHS start charging patients premiums.
Katie Hopkins tries on being fat for size for her documentary on TLC channel, and doesn't like what she sees
“Before my children grow up, we will have a privatised health system, we will pay for that with our health insurance and those of us who keep eating will have higher premiums,” she tells HuffPostUK, saying the problem now is the financial dents overweight people are making on public health resources.
“As soon as the NHS is privatised, I will stop harping on.
“I’d be happy for that. Let’s privatise it, we’re nearly there, and I’d be paying low premiums. I am in the top 1% for my age and sex so my premiums would be on the lowest in the country and I welcome everyone to join me in that, so I say ‘Go go go’ to privatisation, and then I will shut up.
“You won’t get your new knee, you won’t get your gastric band, and you’ll die early, and I’m not paying for your Big Bertha coffin either… except I’d have to do that, probably, but I’m making the point. I want resources to go to people with unexpected illnesses, things they can do nothing about. They’re the ones who need looking after.”
To combat the growing problem of obesity in this country, Katie professes herself vehemently against the sugar tax championed by the likes of chef Jamie Oliver, telling HuffPostUK she’s opposed to “anything to do with fat Jamie Oliver giving us opinion when he’s already been fat and had to lose weight in order to do his sugar tax rubbish. He’s lost the weight now. Did he need the sugar tax to do that, because we haven’t got one? He just lost it of his own volition, therefore everyone can.
“Jamie you lost it, so hold up everyone else to your own standards, which aren’t high, sweet pea.”
Katie’s clearly not a fan of government intervention in this area either, suggesting, “If we are going to ask the state to intervene, which is very costly, then let’s get them nudging us into moving more.”
One of the most striking images of the sequel to last year’s documentary, which saw her voluntarily putting on masses of weight to prove how easy it was to lose it again – a memory she still shudders at today - is definitely her visit to the oversized coffin-maker.
“I’m not laughing at anyone’s family in particular,” she says quickly, “I was just in a factory, but I was shocked.
“The demand for these huge coffins is doubling every week, and no one can carry that coffin, no one is legally allowed to pick that thing up, so you have to be carried around with a mechanical digger.
“Being wheeled around Tesco is equally humiliating, but the idea of having a mechanical digger taking you out of this world…” she sits back… “Are we just going to make things bigger?
“Bigger coffins, bigger seats, bigger ambulances? Is that really our answer?”
Katie admits however, that even her tenacity is matched by those she sees as unwilling to change their habits, however startling the stories like those in her show.
“You just have to keep repeating that message. Don’t use me because I’m an irritant, a horse face, but use my friends in Fat Club, those who lost all that weight with me last year, to inspire you.
“Someone’s got to be responsible for the message, and it can’t be a chef who used to be fat.”
'Katie Hopkins: Fat Story 1 Year On’ was broadcast Saturday 2 January, 9pm on TLC