Pete Evans, Magda Szubanski feud: Chef accused of fat shaming over COVID-19 ad criticism
Actor Magda Szubanski claims she was fat-shamed by celebrity chef Pete Evans after he criticised the Victorian government’s star-studded COVID-19 TV ad campaign. IS THE AD OFFENSIVE? HAVE YOUR SAY.
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Actor Magda Szubanski has accused former TV chef Pete Evans of fat shaming after he criticised her for appearing in a new COVID-19 ad campaign.
The Kath and Kim star lashed out at Evans in a Twitter rant after he slammed the star-studded TV ad, which is funded by the Victorian government, as “offensive”.
“Frankly I am sick to f**king death of skinny people (yes Pete Evans and your followers) assuming they are morally and spiritually superior,” Szubanski tweeted.
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“#Fatshaming me & assertion that fat people have no place in discussion about public health not only insults me but also all the fat nurses, doctors, ambos etc who give so much. My Polish gran was fat & a nurse & she risked her life to hide Jews from the Nazis #fattiesunite.”
On Monday Evans, who is a COVID-19 conspiracy theo€rist, shared a photo of Szubanski with his 1.5 million Facebook followers in a post criticising the campaign, which encourages Victorians to comply with stage 4 lockdown restrictions.
“The most offensive and disgraceful ads I have ever seen in television are circulating in Victoria currently, using a few well known celebrities,” he wrote.
“It is so sad to see this type of brainwashing occurring to children and families in that state and have had enough of the lies. Enough is enough.
“Imagine if they actually wanted to help people get healthy … how would an ad like that look and sound? Let’s give it a try shall we … Spread love, be free, eat anti inflammatory healthy food, hug each other, play, sing, get outdoors, get your hands into the soil, meditate, dance, connect to nature and build a healthy immune system and protect and help the vulnerable with the best of what we know works.”
#fatshaming me & assertion that fat people have no place in discussion about public health not only insults me but also all the fat nurses, doctors, ambos etc who give so much. My Polish gran was fat & a nurse & she risked her life to hide Jews from the Nazis #fattiesunite ðŸ™ðŸ»â¤ï¸ pic.twitter.com/RhFQ4BYV0K
— Magda Szubanski AO (@MagdaSzubanski) August 24, 2020
Earlier this month, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews announced stage 4 restrictions in metropolitan Melbourne following a spike in COVID-19 infections.
This week, Andrews extended Victoria’s State of Emergency for 18 months, with strict lockdown restrictions expected to extend beyond September.
Szubanski appears in the ad as her beloved Kath and Kim character Sharon Strzelecki, urging the public to abide by the rules.
She is joined by The Project’s Waleed Aly, football star Tayla Harris and comedian Shane Jacobson among other celebrities.
Last week, Szubanski revealed she was paid to do the ad but donated the money to charity.
“Yes I am being paid. But I am happily donating my entire fee to charity. That said, I don’t think it should be demanded or expected of people to work for free. Ppl [sic] in the arts so often rally when times are tough. And now, they are really struggling. So I make no judgment,” she tweeted.
When asked which charity, she replied: “Now THAT, really is none of your business.”
Last week, Sydney-based Evans, who was fined $25,000 by the Therapeutic Goods Administration in April for promoting a “light machine” that he claimed could treat COVID-19, claimed he has been shadow banned by Facebook.
The controversial media personality finished up his $800,000 MKR contract with Channel 7 earlier this year after openly questioning the safety of vaccines.
The father-of-two, also known as “Paleo Pete”, is no stranger to criticism after once claiming sunscreen is dangerous and contains poisonous chemicals. His 2017 Netflix documentary The Magic Pill also claims people suffering from illnesses like diabetes, cancer and autism can reduce symptoms and reliance on prescription drugs by adopting a specific diet for just five weeks.
Originally published as Pete Evans, Magda Szubanski feud: Chef accused of fat shaming over COVID-19 ad criticism