Ex-Fat Families host Steve Miller has hit out at the current state of play in Britain, branding it a ‘nanny state’.
He lamented a decision taken by TfL (Transport for London) to ban an advert showing comedian Ed Gamble eating a hot dog due to it ‘promoting obesity’.
“I think it’s a load of old tosh, to be honest”, he said.
“There’s a bigger picture here. We talk about a nanny state, I actually think we’re becoming an authoritarian state.
Steve Miller says the decision to ban the advert is reflective of a 'bigger picture'
GB NEWS
“Opinions, banned. Comedy, banned. The England flag, banned. It’s like we’re wearing a virtual muzzle, people are afraid to speak out these days.
“It’s stifling creativity in business and stifling learning as well.
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“This is not just about a flaming hot dog on a plate, this is a bigger picture.
“You talk to people these days and a lot of my friends say, ‘you wouldn’t be able to say that these days’, according to who?
“I will say what I want, thank you very much. All of this about an advert being banned for having a hot dog on a plate is just utter ridiculousness.
“Completely bonkers. Fair play to him, it’s probably got him the publicity he didn’t think he would get, there’s always a plus.”
Ed Gamble's advert was banned by TfL
Ed Gamble / Avalon
Steve Miller clashed with Olivia Parry
GB NEWS
Nutritionist Olivia Parry disagreed with the points put forward by Miller, arguing that the ‘bigger picture’ is important to consider.
“I think it’s more about nudging people in the right direction, not telling them what to do”, she said.
“When you look at the bigger picture, obesity does lead to heart disease, cancer and all these other nasty illnesses.”
Miller hit back: “You’re not going to deal with it with a hot dog on a plate. You’re going to deal with it by being more blunt.
“Maybe say to people, ‘if you’re fat, think before swallowing’, be more emotional.”
TfL bosses banned Gamble’s tour poster as it fell foul of their junk food advertisement rules.
Commenting on the decision to ban Ed Gamble's poster, a TfL spokesperson said: “We welcome all advertising on our network that complies with our published guidance.
“Following a review of the advert, we advised that elements would need to be removed or obscured to ensure it complied with our policy.
“A revised advert is now running on the network and we are always happy to work with people to ensure adverts follow our policy.”