Presenter forced to apologise after ‘patronising’ struggling youth on air

A TV anchor and landlady was interviewing a young woman about renting when the segment took a “condescending” turn.

A television anchor who grilled a young renter on air before arguing members of her generation “don’t know how” to handle the rental process has gone viral.

UK Sky News presenter Jayne Secker was interviewing London renter Kirsty Archer about the city’s tough rental market this week when the segment took a bizarre turn.

Ms Archer spoke about the lack of availability and high costs associated with renting, and claimed she had been slugged £2000 ($A3643.59) for a deposit.

But Ms Secker, who revealed she was herself a landlord, had little sympathy, arguing “that’s just the housing market”.

“The landlord would have the same issue if you decided to move out in two months,” she said.

Ms Archer had originally been invited to appear on the program to discuss the UK government’s plans to eliminate section 21 eviction notices, meaning landlords would not be able to evict tenants on short notice and without proper cause.

The young woman had been issued with a section 21 eviction notice earlier this year after complaining about the “serious disrepair” in her rented apartment.

But Ms Secker soon steered the interview away from that issue by questioning the capabilities of young people entering the rental market.

Kirsty Archer has been inundated with messages of support. Picture: Twitter @kirstar19

“I suppose some would say, and I am speaking as someone who has rented flats and who also rents flats out, that especially with the younger generation, you very often find that the younger tenants don’t really know how to do a great deal in homes,” the presented said.

She then revealed her tenants had previously said lights in her property were broken because they did not know how to change light bulbs, while some had complained the heating was broken after failing to turn on the boiler.

“Do you think you’ve found amongst your friends, perhaps, that you’re aren’t equipped with the necessary skills to rent?” Ms Secker continued.

But Ms Archer, who works for a mental health charity and who is also a member of the London Renters Union, hit back by labelling the line of questioning “patronising”.

“That’s a bit patronising really, I mean, we weren’t complaining about things like a light bulb,” she said.

She later took to Twitter to claim she did not know in advance she would be interviewed by a landlady, and took aim at the “condescending and insensitive“ line of questioning.

“Let’s get more working class people presenting news shows next,” she suggested.

Ms Secker's interview angered young people. Picture: Sky News

The stoush soon went viral, with Ms Archer penning a follow up article in the UK Guardian about the situation.

“The interviewer, Jayne Secker, who is a landlord, patronised me and demonstrated the contempt with which many landlords view renters,” Ms Archer wrote.

“As soon as I started explaining my situation, she interrupted to minimise the impact my housing situation is having on me … The idea that I am somehow responsible for being evicted from my home because I don’t have the ‘necessary skills to rent’ is deeply patronising.

“What makes this painful is that, like many renters left in such a precarious position, since receiving the eviction notice I have experienced increased levels of stress and anxiety.”

Jayne Secker questioned if renters had the “capabilities” to handle the market. Picture: Twitter @JayneSeckerSky

To Ms Secker’s credit, she has personally apologised to Ms Archer and has also addressed the scandal publicly on Twitter, posting: “Clearly yesterday I got the tone and content of an interview wrong and it has upset many people. I am sure many of us will have made a mistake at work — unfortunate for me mine is a lot more public than most. Please be assured I have taken the many comments on board. Mea culpa.”

Sky News anchor (who also happens to be a landlord) decides to turn an interview about housing policy into an irrelevant and patronising rant about her tenants pic.twitter.com/ITlohPAVip

— Jon Stone (@joncstone) April 15, 2019

The problem was more than tone & content. What's weirdest is that neither you nor anyone in the #SkyNews team called out your conflict of interest. You could have stepped back. Instead you punched down.

— CLARE SAMBROOK (@CLARESAMBROOK) April 16, 2019

Young people don’t have “the skills to rent” ! But they do have the skills required to earn and pay the rent to hard done by landlords.

— Duncan Taylor (@DoctorDTaylor) April 15, 2019

But many Twitter users have been quick to condemn the reporter’s attitude and the “conflict of interest” the segment posed.

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