Louise Thompson, 36, has issued a heartfelt apology after comments she made on her podcast He Said, She Said with fiancé Ryan Libbey went viral for all the wrong reasons. The reality star and mother-of-one faced fury from fans after joking about children going to school without being potty trained or able to feed themselves.
The backlash was swift, with many branding Louise “privileged” and calling the conversation “disgusting and disappointing.” In response, Louise took to Instagram, speaking directly to her followers from a bedroom setting.
“I’m coming on here to address some of the comments on social media,” she said. “I am just so sorry that I have upset everybody, and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. It was never our intention to offend so many people and a community of parents and children who face their own challenges. Ryan and I are deeply devastated.”
Louise clarified that the statistics she had referenced came from a Guardian article published in January and were not meant to refer to children with special educational needs or disabilities. “But despite that, it doesn’t matter, because what this has taught us is that we should have considered other children,” she added.
The mum-of-one, who has extensive experience working in the maternity sector, admitted she had read the comments and watched the clips, expressing “tremendous admiration” for parents and their efforts. She hinted at a future “informed” podcast episode to raise awareness on the topic and reflected on her own sensitivity, noting she has an invisible disability.
The controversial comments stemmed from Louise’s belief that children should learn basic skills like using the loo and feeding themselves before starting school at age four. In the podcast, she and Ryan discussed statistics claiming that 25% of children start school not fully potty trained, with many also unable to eat independently. Their laughter during the discussion ignited the online backlash.
Louise’s apology demonstrates her willingness to acknowledge mistakes and use the controversy as a springboard for a wider, more thoughtful conversation about early childhood development.
