Shooting to fame aged just 12, singer Charlotte Church has lived most of her life in the spotlight. While her talent brought fame and fans the world over, the flipside of the Cardiff singer's early fame led to pretty distasteful attention, especially as she approached her later teenage years.
Appearing on Kathy Burke's latest Channel 4 documentary, Growing Up, mum-of-three Charlotte spoke about the shocking comments from former BBC Radio 1 DJ Chris Moyles and her being seen as "fair game" when it came to talking about her sexuality, body, and reaching the age of consent.
In 2002, when Charlotte was just 16, Chris said he wanted to "lead her through the forest of sexuality now she had reached 16" while on air. Speaking on the Channel 4 documentary with Burke, during which the actress and comedian contemplates if she should fight or accept old age and asks if it's easier or harder to be young in today's world, Charlotte heavily criticised Moyles' comments but added that the inappropriate discussion was out in the open whereas now sexist commentary has been driven underground.
READ MORE:The big Charlotte Church interview: 'Life was so traumatic and stressful, something had to give'
Charlotte, now 37, said: "There was this shift where I became fair game... Of course it wasn’t good. At least it was out in the open. That 'lads lads lads' culture was prominent, it was very simplistic, it was unashamed and it was just out there."
Continuing to speak about toxic "lad" culture Charlotte said: "Whereas now it’s somehow become a bit more underground and a bit more dangerous," as The Mirror reports. At the time the Broadcasting Standards Commission upheld the complaint of a listener, who said the DJ’s remarks were inappropriate
The BSC Standards Panel said it noted Moyles was well known for his near-the-knuckle approach "but took the view that the explicit sexual content and humour had exceeded acceptable boundaries for the time of transmission". Charlotte has also spoken about what it was like growing up in the spotlight when she appeared on Kate Garraway's Life Stories.
She said: "All of the normal ways in which we grow and how puberty happens and how girls become women was stifled and such. I felt I had to be this other eternally young, innocent, you know, little girl and that’s not where literally biological life was taking me."
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Kathy Burke: Growing Up airs on Channel 4 at 9pm on March 8 and 9. Catch up on All 4.
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