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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Entertainment
Jessica Sansome

Loose Women's Janet Street-Porter defends Shamima Begum sparking huge viewer row

Loose Women star Janet Street-Porter defended Shamima Begum after the 'Isis bride' gave a television interview.

The 22-year-old east London schoolgirl, who fled her home in 2015 to join terror group Isis, was interviewed on Good Morning Britain on Wednesday.

Hosts Susanna Reid and Richard Madeley quizzed her on comments she made about the Manchester Arena bombing.

Begum, who has had her British citizenship revoked by the Home Office on national security grounds, also begged for forgiveness and added that she could help Boris Johnson in 'your fight against terrorism because you clearly don’t know what you’re doing'.

READ MORE: Piers Morgan says 'monster' Shamima Begum should be left to 'rot' after GMB interview

The interview was spoken about on various other ITV programmes including Loose Women, where Janet said Begum was ‘groomed’.

The panel show posed the question whether Begum should be forgiven.

Janet said: "I think – and I’ve said it all along – that she was a child when she left Britain. She was a child when she married someone who was chosen for her, and she has lost three children in relatively quick succession.

"She was groomed by ISIS and if a child is groomed, you have to understand the pressures that were on her.

"I’m not asking for sympathy for her, but I can find it in my heart to forgive her."

Shamima Begum when she left the UK and now (ITV)

She added: "But I can also see that bringing her back to England poses all sorts of problems.

"I think that in the end though, we ought to be able to use her experiences to show other young people what her experience has done to her both mentally and how they have shaped her life."

But viewers found themselves divided.

"Controversial as it seems Street-Porter is probably right. She was a child. The real culprits are the parents responsible for bringing her up," one shared.

“Fgs Janet wake up! She’s lost her British citizenship for a reason! To much time spent on this subject! #LooseWomen," another said.

However, a third tweeted: "I have always admired Janet Street-Porter.She is one of the original #icons of cool #LooseWomen."

"I agree 100% with @The_Real_JSP re: Shamima Begum #LooseWomen," a fourth added.

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