Fern Britton was sexually assaulted by a man in a lift following a showbiz interview.
The 61-year-old TV star – who previously presented shows such as ‘Ready Steady Cook’ and ‘This Morning ‘ – has revealed the assault took place whilst she was working for Television South, saying the unnamed man started kissing her after she’d interviewed him.
Recalling the incident, Fern told the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I remember doing a television show when I worked for TVS. I was in a lift with a man I’d just interviewed.
"He suddenly jumped me and started snogging me. I asked him what on earth he thought he was doing. But it didn’t seem to shame him into stopping."
Although Fern acknowledges the "pendulum [is] beginning to swing back in the other direction", she’s also insisted "the most privileged person on the planet is still the white male".
The TV presenter has, therefore, argued that more needs to be done in order to combat sexual abuse and harassment.
Fern – who worked for Television South in the late 1980s and early 1990s – explained: "The fact remains the most privileged person on the planet is still the white male.
"But unless they can feel as uncomfortable as single women do walking home at night in the dark or getting into a taxi alone, there’s always going to be that gap in understanding.
"Is the pendulum beginning to swing back in the other direction? Yes, it is. But there’s still a long way to go."
Fern Britton was sexually assaulted in a lift
