Labour leadership candidate Jeremy Corbyn has said being branded a “sexy sea dog” by women on Mumsnet is the “most embarrassing thing I’ve ever heard”.
Mr Corbyn, now being tipped as runner-up in the race to the Labour leadership after securing the backing of five trade unions, made the admission on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour.
Responding to talk on the parents’ website of his supposed sexiness, Mr Corbyn, 66, said: “This is the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever heard.
“I had a bit of a chuckle about it, but I’m actually a bit embarrassed, to be quite honest.”
A discussion on Mumsnet entitled “Anyone else think Jeremy Corbyn is very sexy?” has more than 90 comments with “Phawoar!” and “there’s just something about him” among the lustful remarks.
Other compliments state that Mr Corbyn is "attractive in a world weary old sea dog sort of way” and “he looked like he'd just spent two weeks in the pub - he's got a coolness about him”.
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One commentator compared his attractiveness to Harry Potter’s trusted mentor in the famous wizard stories remarking: “If you half fancied Dumbledore, Corbyn is probably in the same arena.”
“Passion is sexy. Wouldn’t say he was good looking, but definitely attractive,” added another.
Although a few did disagree: “No. Call Specsavers.”
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Despite his embarrassment, Mr Corbyn later took part in a Mumsnet webchat alongside fellow leadership candidate Liz Kendall.
He said he agreed that Ms Kendall and Yvette Cooper had confronted sexist attitudes during the leadership campaign.
In his Working With Women manifesto, published today, Mr Corbyn launched his policies on gender equality with a commitment to having a 50 per cent female shadow cabinet and to “work towards” ensuring that half of all Labour MPs are women.
Measures outlined in the document include forcing companies to publish equal pay audits and moving towards universal free childcare.
