This Morning viewers enraged after ‘sexist’ airline passenger comes face-to-face with female pilot
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Journalist Angela Epstein came face-to-face with a female pilot on This Morning on Friday morning – after saying she did not feel safe in an aeroplane when a female pilot was flying.
Angela believes that female pilots may get distracted by mood swings, poor concentration and premenstrual syndrome, which makes her nervous as a passenger.
Will be on @thismorning today around 10.45am discussing female pilots. They're just as good as men. So why do I prefer it when a bloke flies the plane? Tune in to watch discussion
— Angela Epstein (@adepstein1) February 9, 2018
Since voicing her views, Angela has received a backlash from the public and took to This Morning to try and explain herself a little bit more – although fans largely criticised her appearance, saying they were ‘amazed she was given the airtime’.
The show set up a debate between the broadcaster and Marnie Munns, a pilot of 18 years who works for easyJet.
Angela kicked off the debate – moderated by Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford – saying: ‘I believe female pilots are competent, if not more competent of flying a plane as men, but I like a man to look after me when we’re in positions of absolute power and we are at 35000 feet.
‘Because I know my frailties and weaknesses as a woman, even though I’m sure (female) pilots are incredibly professional, I know what I’m like when I drive when I’m feeling premenstrual or if I’ve had a row with the kids that I’ve not been able to park in my mind.’
Pilot Marnie tried to reassure Angela and the viewers at home that all pilots, no matter what sex, have to go through rigorous training and all have to be taught how to deal with ‘nervous passengers’.
Marnie – a mother-of-two – said: ‘We are all highly trained individuals who have been through the same training process as men.’
But before she could utter a word more, she was interrupted by Angela who said: ‘If it was somebody who has absolute power and absolute control then I’d like it to be a man.’
Angela – when asked if she felt unsafe with a woman pilot – then added : ‘There’s never any question of me feeling less safe, I just don’t want it.’
And if that wasn’t awkward enough, when Eamonn Holmes brought up the idea of robots flying planes, and asked Angela what she felt about that, she said: ‘Well it depends if the robots have eyelashes or not!’
Eeesh!
Marnie did however get a few words in edge ways towards the end, finishing on a positive note.
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She said: ‘There’s no sexism in the industry but sexism comes in the perception of what we do, and what I’m here to do today is say what my job involves.
‘We work behind the closed flight deck door and in a highly secure environment.
‘What we’re trying to do in easyJet is promote the career positively to women, it’s a fantastic career choice, you get plenty of family time [and] it’s a well paid job that offers flexible working.’
Viewers picked up on the awkward atmosphere and took to Twitter in support of female pilots:
There's genuinely a woman on #ThisMorning arguing that she wouldn't trust a female pilot because she might be 'pre-menstrual' or be too worried about her kids to fly the plane properly.
— Claudia Boleyn (@ClaudiaBoleyn) February 9, 2018
#ThisMorning@thismorning who is this woman?! Worried about flying in a plane if the pilot is female? Wants to be "rescued by a man"? She might need to be rescued by a therapist if she really has no faith in a pilot because of their gender.
— Madeleine Ralph (@MadeleineRalph) February 9, 2018
Shame on the editor giving this airtime. The pilot is qualified end of! And the journo playing the period card is pathetic! Pankhurst must be turning in her grave! #thismorning
— Rob A (@Browbar1) February 9, 2018
One of my best friends (female) is a pilot, a captain. Apparently on @thismorning they are actually debating whether there should be female pilots, whether you would trust them. Fire your producers please. #ThisMorning
— Aislinn O'Toole (@AislinnOT) February 9, 2018
One said: ‘How can @thismorning even pose the question “would you trust a female pilot?” It’s sexist it it’s own right. Pretty discusting, it should be phrased differently ! Time to switch.’
Another added: ‘Wtf is this woman doing on #ThisMorning .. She needs go get her head out of the 1940’s and come join us in 2018..’
A third commented: ‘Is the woman on this morning for real? Like seriously, how can you not trust a female pilot but trust a male pilot? There’s no difference.’
And someone else said: ‘#Thismorning shut that sexist Angela woman up fgs – stop shoving your own insecurities & ideas onto others.’
This Morning airs weekdays on ITV at 10.30am.
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