Featured Image Credit: Instagram/@angelascanlon
Topics: Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, UK News
Claire Reid
Topics: Celebrity, Strictly Come Dancing, UK News
Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Scanlon has apologised after she shared herself hanging out of a moving car in a reckless stunt - which ended up being reported to the police.
The Irish TV personality, who is matched with professional dancer Carlos Gu on this year’s Strictly, shared the clip to social media before swiftly removing it following a backlash.
In the video, 39-year-old Scanlon could be seen not wearing a seatbelt, as she leaned out of the window of a moving car and performed some dance moves as the vehicle made its way down a residential street, while The Sugar Hill Gang’s 'Rapper's Delight' plays in the background.
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At one point she also appeared to wave at a passing cyclist.
In a statement, Scanlon has said she was ‘giddy with excitement’ following rehearsals but apologised for the misjudged stunt.
Scanlon said: “I made absolutely the wrong decision when I filmed this video. I was coming from rehearsals and was giddy with excitement.
“That's not an excuse, because what I did was stupid and I'm sorry I let my excitement get the better of my judgement.”
The incident has since been reported to police, with a spokesperson from Hertfordshire Police saying in a statement: "Hertfordshire Police have received a report from a member of the public about a woman not wearing a seatbelt in a moving vehicle in Borehamwood."
The move was slammed by road safety campaigners, with one charity branding it ‘incredibly dangerous’.
Nicholas Lyes, Director of Policy at charity IAM RoadSmart, told The Sun: “Dangling any part of the body out of the window of a moving car is incredibly dangerous and risks serious injury or death.
"To make matters worse, in this instance it appears no seatbelt was being worn which risks the passenger being thrown out of the vehicle when the brakes are applied.”
While Nick Simmons, CEO of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, told the Daily Mail: “Every day on the UK's roads, around five people are killed and more than 60 people are seriously injured.
“Driving is a privilege, not a right. With that privilege, comes a great deal of responsibility for safety, but sadly, many road users overlook this important fact.
“It is very disappointing when celebrities, who have a significant influence on others, behave in a way that does not acknowledge the importance of using the roads safely and of the huge risks posed by distracted driving.”