TV presenter Kirstie Allsopp has defended her comments and suggested critics complain to Channel 4 after she received a backlash on social media for accusing young people of refusing to make ‘sacrifices’ to ensure they can afford to get a foot on the property ladder.
In a column for The Times over the weekend, the Location, Location, Location host admitted that she was ‘enraged’ when people said they could not afford to buy a property.
Allsop, whose family helped her to buy her first home at the age of 21, advised that young people move to a cheap area, quit their gym memberships, stop going on foreign holidays, and move back in with their parents to help save money.
In her column, Allsop said she purchased her first property when the “going abroad, the EasyJet, coffee, gym, Netflix lifestyle didn’t exist”.
“I used to walk to work with a sandwich. And on payday I’d go for a pizza, and to a movie, and buy a lipstick,” she added.
Allsopp, 50, bought her first property when the average house price in the UK was just over £50,000, which is significantly less – even when adjusted for inflation – than the £250,000 or so for the average home today.
The presenter’s column sparked instant backlash, with some readers accusing it of being patronising and completely out of touch considering the surge in property prices in recent years.
Now Allsop has responded to the backlash with a series of sarcastic tweets encouraging people to complain to Channel 4 if they do not like what she had to say.
“[Anyone] who thinks I have spent the last 22 years pretending to understand the needs of British homebuyers must think me a very good actress indeed,” she wrote.
“If you don’t like the shows don’t watch them. But I’m beyond caring what the press or social media think about me, life is too short.”
Allsop continued: “If you don’t like me do tell @Channel4, though the best way to put an end to me is not to watch the shows.”
Among her critics was former Good Morning Britain Host Piers Morgan, who blasted her on Twitter to his 7.9 million followers.
“Every time Kirstie Allsopp trends, I check why and see she’s said another unbelievably stupid, ludicrously ill-informed and woefully privileged thing,” he wrote.
“Then I wait for her to respond to the entirely justified outrage by throwing her toys out of the pram & quitting Twitter again.”
Allsop had previously quit Twitter after a public row with GMB journalist Adil Ray.
Comments (17)
I never thought I would have to admit this – but I was… and am… wrong.
Many of you will have seen my mantra on more than one occasion when the ‘unmask the anons’ brigade bang on about wanting to know who is putting forward an argument that they cannot win without apparently knowing who is running circles around them –
“It’s not who says what – it’s what is being said.”
But – in this instance at least – that isn’t the case.
I have no time whatsoever for the lady or her ‘co-star’. She brings nothing to the property industry table. And she certainly isn’t saying anything orignal here – merely I would suggest regurgitating a mouthful or two of Strutt & Parker’s 2017 ‘Ratner moment’ article that suggested would-be buyers could save half-a-mill in three months if they gave up bikini waxes and bought a Bic instead.
Or something like that, anyway.
Problem is, while what S&P/The Honourable Ms Allsopp are saying is, to a degree, correct advice – it couldn’t be delivered by more inappropriate sources. Simply put, the who is wrong here.
Hey – maybe she should invent herself an anonymous identity…
I want to live in Hollywood, but I can’t afford to. I live where I can afford – which if I was in some peoples position, – wouldn’t be in London.
I recall from my up-bring something like, … cut your cloth…
My business is based in Skelmersdale, which has some of the cheapest houses in the country. There is nowhere in the North West that is cheaper for what you get.
Where do you suggest people from Skelmersdale move to?
She’s completely out of touch and speaking from a position of privilege, and it’s pretty offensive to a lot of people by making out that cutting back by a Netflix subscription and a few lattes a month will get you a house. However, had she said that youngsters are taking out car finance on an Audi/BMW for £400 a month instead of saving for their future, she’d have had a point.
The cost of borrowing and servicing that debt has NEVER been cheaper. It is cheaper now to borrow even a large sum and pay back in relation to your earnings then it ever has been.
True seenitall, but the huge difference between when Kirstie bought her first property and now is that back then the average house price was about 3 or 4 times average annual salary. Now that multiple is around 6 or 7 times. It really does mean that property is less affordable than at any time since 1945.
Generally, Millennials wanted instant gratification. Some having flash cars from the start rather than old bangers, many singles and childless couples rented better properties than their parents homes, many lived on take away food, sandwiches, coffee, etc so could not save.
My grandfather used to say “look after the pennies and the pounds will look after themselves”, but with inflation we now have to look after the £20 notes. We are living in a different era, but there have been exceptionally low interest rates for over 10 years, so are houses more costly at the moment?
Mortgage rates the late 1980’s rose to over 17% and everyone had to tighten their belts, but there were still lots of repossessions. The huge leap in inflation 20 years ago was partly caused by the relaxation of mortgage multipliers, so in 1985 it was 2.75x salary and 3x in early 2002, then Gordon Brown relaxed the rules and let people have 6x salary and self certification.
Any person who cites small luxury’s as a reason why a person can’t afford a property is out of touch. True, perhaps the person could look at something more affordable (area), but I think the vast majority would have these expectations anyway.
I’m a 35yr old making £35k pa. I don’t spend money on ridiculous holidays etc, nor does my partner. collectively we earn 60k pre tax. We spend 18k per year on rent (its a modest 2 bed in south London). I will say with certainty, anyone born <1975 had challenges, but didn’t have to pay almost 50% of their earnings on purely housing costs and bills.
Those not in agreement need to go look in the mirror, give themselves a slap and keep their opinions to themselves.
I can’t defend Allsop for what she said. Yes, there are so many more things for the young to spend their money on, but saving on gym membership and a few flat whites won’t get them a deposit. Her comments were ill-informed, especially for a so-called property guru, and displayed an unbelievable degree of privilege.
But I will say the young need to identify what’s most important to them. If they can’t raise a deposit, then maybe renting and enjoying their income with zero responsibilities is best. It seems to work in Germany, although I realise their model is different. I would also say it is not unreasonable to pay 50% of your income on accommodation and bills. You still have 50% to spend on the gym, lattes, and festivals.
“I will say with certainty, anyone born <1975 had challenges, but didn’t have to pay almost 50% of their earnings on purely housing costs and bills.”
I would suggest your ‘certainty’ is woefully incorrect.
Social media is an angry and envious place. Click bait for attention and outrage is how it works. Someone-one will ALWAYS find an angle to be offended or as an excuse for attack.
Those who remember Japan Dave and Sibley’s B’stad Child (the HPC crew) from EAT know just how touchy a few people get when their work and wages don’t align with their aspirations and where they WANT to live
Mx. Allsop isn’t saying anything other than home ownership is possible but you’ve got to decide how you spend the cash you earn, are given or can borrow.
Whilst she could have articulated it better, she’s fundamentally correct. I bought my first place back in 1987 using saved funds. Whilst a lot of my mates partied and spent to the max, I had a different goal and had zero mortgage within 10 years. I’ve still got that first property and it’s been the springboard to many adventures whilst my mates do the slog to work every day to pay off their first mortgage. It’s all about priorities.
Crikey. Storm in a tea cup, or should that be in a goat-milk flat white? Kirsty was telling the truth – her point being that if you want to buy a house then sacrifices are needed. So she is right…. but its hard to talk (down) to those struggling when you’re fully equity-happy yourself. So whatever advice you give people are going to be upset. That’s just how it works. As for Piers Morgan….. if you’re annoying him you’re probably doing something right.
Well said. Kirsty,. the truth hurts. I’m not saying there isn’t a housing crisis – shortage / affordability issue,. but also an element of truth in what you say. Not pertaining to Everyone, but if the cap fits. !
Out of touch boomer take – if the cap fits, of course.
I’ll cancel my Netflix subscription, that’ll save me <£100pa… I look forward to having the deposit in 700+ years with that saving.
700 years! Hahaha! Brilliant.
70k+ deposit (inc fees). £100 year saving on netflix. That’s 700 years. Maths isn’t your strong point, is it Charile?