Featured Image Credit: PA
Topics: Celebrity
Ali Condon
Kirstie Allsopp has infuriated readers over her recent remarks on the housing market and 'tone-deaf' tips for first-time buyers.
The television presenter, and daughter of Baron Charles Allsopp, insisted in an article over the weekend that young people could easily get themselves on the property ladder if they simply gave up their gym memberships, Netflix subscriptions, and luxury holidays.
Noting that she bought her first property at age 21 with the help of her family - again, daughter of a Baron - Kirstie suggested that it didn't come without sacrifices, and was "enraged" when young people complained that they couldn't afford property.
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Speaking to The Sunday Times, Kirstie said: "When I bought my first property, going abroad, the eastJet, 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."
Kirstie's comments immediately sparked outrage online, as many labelled her as 'tone-deaf.'
One person tweeted: "In a week of God-awful hot takes, it's sort of reassuring to know Kirstie Allsopp is [still] reliably tone-deaf and thick."
Another wrote: "Ah I see yet another privileged child of a rich person is telling us to stop enjoying minor things in order to buy a house."
A third joked: "Just put my coffee pod machine on Facebook Marketplace and cancelled my gym membership. #KirstieAllsopp #moneysavingexpert."
After facing the fury of the masses, Kirstie Allsopp took to Twitter to address the backlash.
She tweeted: "Anyhow [sic] 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. 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."
Failing to apologise for her choice of words and blaming the press for her situation, she later added: "Housing is the most serious issue in the UK today.
"It impacts everything education, health, relationships, pensions, fertility, the environment, productivity etc etc. Unfortunately our press don’t want to take is seriously, they want to bitch for clicks. God help us."
Satirical news site NewsThump noted that by sacrificing the little things that make daily life enjoyable like a daily coffee, a monthly gym membership, a Netflix subscription, and an easyJet flight to Spain could save you up to £2,100.
But, according to the Office for National Statistics, the average UK home costs £224,000, meaning you'd need a deposit of about £22,000 for a first time property.
And because UK housing prices went up by 10% in 2021, according to Halifax, housing deposits have also inflated, with the average deposit now increasing from £22,000 to £24,000.
The satire publication wrote: "So, now you're sat there, after a year of giving up many things you like, after a year of belt-tightening and less enjoyment in your social life, and you've done ALL of that to find yourselfd £100 FURTHER AWAY from your deposit requirement than you were a year ago. Unless, of course, you Dad is a multi-millionaire Baron."
Pointing out where Kirstie went wrong in her remarks, one person tweeted: "The problem with the Kirstie Allsopp’s and Molly-Mae’s of this country isn’t just their wildly tone deaf remarks as public figures with influence, but the obstinate ignorance and total disregard in acknowledging their privilege and owning their unearned advantage in society."