Nicola Roberts has accused the media of misogyny following the break-up of Liam Payne and Cheryl, her friend and former bandmate.
On Thursday, just days after Liam and Cheryl announced their split, Nicola appeared on ‘Loose Women’, and when the subject of Girls Aloud came up, conversation quickly turned to the recent news.
When returning panellist Carol McGiffin noted that Cheryl was “in the news”, Nicola commented that much of the coverage of the split had been sexist in nature.
Nicola said: “[Cheryl]’s OK… I mean, I actually think what’s been interesting this week is to see how the misogyny through the media has played out. There’s been a couple of articles, like, ‘why can’t she hold a man down?’. And it’s just like… why can’t a man hold her down? You know? But she’s good.”
After both Cheryl and Liam confirmed the news of the split, the ‘Fight For This Love’ singer was forced to speak out over reports that her mother had been in some way a driving force for the break-up.
She insisted: “I hate responding to stuff [especially] at such difficult times but I cannot sit here and listen to such nasty, false articles regarding my mam.
“I don’t know why they involve her in stories about me. I can assure you she has absolutely nothing to do with any of it.
“I am a grown woman who is capable of dealing with my own life. She is a soft and kind woman who doesn’t deserve to be dragged into something that has nothing whatsoever to do with her.”