Richard Madeley and Loose Men panel to discuss male body confidence and more
Loose Women will rebrand as Loose Men for the day.
Richard Madeley will comment that “even old men” like him feel pressure to “explain how we look” as he anchors Loose Men’s all-male panel to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week.
He will appear alongside Diversity star Jordan Banjo, TV star Robert Rinder and actor and musician Martin Kemp on the ITV talk show panel.
The foursome will discuss mental health, male body confidence, whether flirting is cheating and more.
The upcoming episode is part of Loose Women’s Stand By Your Men mental health campaign which, alongside ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign, urges men to open up and seek help when needed.
Madeley, who turns 65 on the day the show airs on May 13, says: “Even old men like me come under a lot of pressure to explain how we look.”
He will also speak about the backlash he received when people thought he had dyed his hair, as well as an incident on air in 2019 that saw him tell viewers of his complexion: “Sorry everybody if it’s a bit pumpkin-like.”
He says: “It was very funny. But the point is, it got column inches over accidental fake tan.”
Spandau Ballet star Kemp, asked if as a popstar he felt “under the microscope” about his appearance, says: “When I was 17 I was in the band, so I was always aware of how I looked. But I think nowadays we are so much more health-conscious and body-aware than we ever have been.”
Diversity star Banjo says: “I’ve always been quite a big dude. Compare me to the other boys, all they’ve got to do is sneeze and they get an ab. I looked at a slice of cake and it was like I gained a stone. At first it was difficult, you’re part of the biggest dance group in the country, you’re young and, to be blunt, I felt like a bit of a fraud.”
Former Strictly Come Dancing contestant and TV star Rinder will discuss the effect of social media on body confidence, saying: “There’s something we need to talk about as well which is resilience and giving people who comment on your body image your absolute aggressively undivided indifference… bullying is always about the bully and I think we need to talk about that.”
Discussing if flirting is cheating, Madeley who has been married to Judy Finnigan for more than three decades, says “the line for me and Judy was written in absolute concrete”.
The panel will also be tested on hot new fashion trends and a game of guess the gizmo.
The episode follows the first all-male panel in the show’s 21-year history last November to mark International Men’s Day.
Mental Health Awareness Week runs until Sunday May 16.
Loose Men airs on May 13 at 12.30pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
