Kéllé Bryan and Judi Love reveal how they’ve been victims of racism

Loose Women panellists Kéllé Bryan and Judi Love have revealed the horrendous racism they suffered at school, with Judi revealing she was called the N-word from the age of five.

The presenters joined Ruth Langsford and Janet Street-Porter on today’s edition of the ITV show filmed in London, where the panel discussed name-calling and bullying after Robbie Williams said he is still affected after being called ‘the fat dancer from Take That’ by Noel Gallagher the 1990s.

Kéllé, who found fame in pop group The Eternals with Easther  and Vernie Bennett and Louise Redknapp added that she was always called ‘the fat one’ in the girl group, and ‘suffered from eating disorders’ while trying to ‘get skinny’ despite being a size 12 ‘at her biggest’.

She also revealed that she was picked on in Primary school ‘for being black’ and had her school bag flushed down the toilet by cruel bullies.  

Loose Women panellists Kéllé Bryan (left) and Judi Love (right) have revealed the horrendous racism they suffered at school including being called the N-word and having their school bag flushed down the toilet due to being black.

‘Unfortunately was about five or six I remember it quite vividly when I started my primary school as the people my satchel and ended up down the toilet,’ Kéllé explained.

‘You know one or the other children flushed it down the toilet, because that was black.

‘I remember thinking, you know, it was a statue that my mum had bought you know for my first day at school and I was really proud of it. And I loved it and like yet found it flushed down the loo so it’s really tough.

Judi added that she’s been called ‘so many names’. 

The presenters joined Ruth Langsford and Janet Street-Porter on today's edition of the ITV show filmed in London, where the panel discussed name-calling and bullying after Robbie Williams said he is still affected after being called 'the fat dancer from Take That' by Noel Gallagher the 1990s.

The presenters joined Ruth Langsford and Janet Street-Porter on today’s edition of the ITV show filmed in London, where the panel discussed name-calling and bullying after Robbie Williams said he is still affected after being called ‘the fat dancer from Take That’ by Noel Gallagher the 1990s.

‘Whether it’s come to my complexion, being called darky or blackie, or being called the N-word, or frog eyes and you know the ultimate one is fat.

‘I remember the first time I was, I was called the N-word I was five years old and I was bending down doing up my mum’s shoelaces and someone drove past the shop and shouted it out.

‘I never knew what it meant so again in that for the first time. 

‘It had a lifelong effect but like I said early adversity. I always tried to bring it into a positive light and look, look, you know, what can, 

Kelle explained her school bag was flushed down the toilet when she was five at school because 'she was black'

Kelle explained her school bag was flushed down the toilet when she was five at school because ‘she was black’

Both women also said they were picked on for their weight.  

‘Any argument probably when I was younger [being called fat] that would be the first thing they use,’ Judi said.

‘As I got older, I tried to use any adversity, to my advantage and and and i think he’s done quite well for me in that,’ she continued. 

‘The reality is, I’m a big girl I’m a fluffy girl. I’m always going to be a bit of a meaty girl but I try to not let anybody else’s point of view kind of affect me.

Fans took to Twitter to share their shock at the insights from Judi and Kelle, saying they were beautiful

Fans took to Twitter to share their shock at the insights from Judi and Kelle, saying they were beautiful 

‘What will affect me is my own internal thought about myself.’

‘Because you’re such a sponge as a child, everything you’re told sticks with you,’ Kéllé added.

‘You’re taking everything in it stays with you and it causes the most harm. And once it’s said at that point if you take it on as truth that’s it you believe it. 

‘So for me I was the fat one in the band, so I can totally empathise with where Robbie’s coming from’.

Kéllé, who was only 17 when she joined the band, added that she was called fat by stylists and hair and make-up teams.

Kéllé, who found fame in pop group The Eternals with Easther and Vernie Bennett and Louise Redknapp added that she was always called 'the fat one' in the girl group, and 'suffered from eating disorders' while trying to 'get skinny'.

Kéllé, who found fame in pop group The Eternals with Easther and Vernie Bennett and Louise Redknapp added that she was always called ‘the fat one’ in the girl group, and ‘suffered from eating disorders’ while trying to ‘get skinny’.

‘At my biggest I was like a size for 12 to 14, I was just a normal girl. 

‘But at that point,  when you’re a teenager, it’s at that point where you’re forming those kind of beliefs of yourself and you’re trusting what other people say because you’ve got no clue at that kind of that kind of age, you’re impressionable.

‘That really did stick with me and it did make a big difference in how I saw myself. 

‘It took a long time before I recovered. 

‘We went down spiral down all kinds of different directions with eating disorders and all kinds of things to try and make myself skinny because that’s what I thought. 

‘I did all those kinds of things, but also just as a child I was definitely at school.

Janet (bottom right) added she had the opposite problem and was called Olive Oil after the Popeye character as she couldn't put on weight and was the last girl in her year at school to wear a bra

 Janet (bottom right) added she had the opposite problem and was called Olive Oil after the Popeye character as she couldn’t put on weight and was the last girl in her year at school to wear a bra

‘I think we were told things in it as a younger person or as a young adult. They really do stick with you, so you’re over that now being called the fat one in the band, or do you still have kind of issue body issues. 

‘I still think I still view myself as somebody fat, you know I do really think about my, my weight, and how I look.’

Janet added she had the opposite problem and was called Olive Oil after the Popeye character as she couldn’t put on weight and was the last girl in her year at school to wear a bra. 

All four women continued they were the ones ‘laughing now’ due to their successful television careers.