Charlotte Church has discussed how Chris Moyles offered to take her virginity during his Radio 1 show. In a new Channel 4 series, Kathy Burke: Growing Up, the singer talks about how, on her 16th birthday in 2002, the DJ decided to mark the occasion by announcing that he wanted to “lead her through the forest of sexuality now she had reached 16”.
“Is that when it started to get dark? When you were basically reaching puberty? That’s when they started to write about you differently?” asks Burke before Church responds: “Yeah, there was just this sort of shift where I became fair game.”
As part of the show, we see a TV clip from years later, where Moyles tells Church: “You were gonna be 16, and I offered to take your virginity.” It comes from the singer’s Channel 4 programme, The Charlotte Church Show, and featured Moyles going on to describe his quote as: “actually very sweet” – although the latter statement does not appear in the programme.
At the time, the broadcasting standards commission condemned Moyles for the comment, but according to Church, the upfront misogyny of the times was less worrying than the more clandestine, internet-enabled misogyny that flourishes today.
“It wasn’t good, but at least it was out in the open,” says Church. “That lads, lads, lads culture was dominant. It was very simplistic, it was unashamed, it was just out there and everybody knew what it was. But now it’s become more underground, and more dangerous.”
Church’s comments come in the second episode of Burke’s new two-part documentary on ageing, in which she considers whether sexual maturity is the point at which people become adults. During the programmes Burke talks to showbiz friends Jennifer Saunders and Bill Bailey, as well as meeting a dominatrix in her 70s who took up the job in her 60s, when working as a chef became too physically demanding.
Chris Moyles’ representatives have been contacted for comment.
