The ‘I’m A Celebrity’ sensation reported a luxury French spa to the police after an argument broke out after two Muslim women were told they could not wear burkinis.
Belgian-born British influencer Nella Rose, who appeared on the popular ITV show last year, was one of 20 UK creatives on the brand tour to celebrate the launch of skincare brand Topicals. She claimed that two Muslim women in the group were prevented from using the facilities because they were wearing hijab swimsuits.
QC Terme’s website clearly states the dress code for women at the Chamonix branch: “One-piece or two-piece swimming costumes. “Any other types of clothing, including short swimsuits and covered swimsuits, are strictly prohibited.” The issue of hijab has become a controversial issue in France after burkinis were banned from beaches in more than a dozen coastal towns in 2016, a decision that angered Muslims.
This past weekend, we hosted our third brand crawl in Megève, France, with a group of Black and Brown creators from the UK and US.
At one of the establishments on our itinerary, we experienced discrimination, harassment, and were threatened with a law enforcement summons.
— TOPICS (@topikaller) April 1, 2024
Hijab dress is a type of swimsuit that covers the body, leaving only the face, hands and feet exposed, and is usually worn by Muslim women who want to maintain their modesty due to their beliefs.
Topicals, a black-owned US company He said in his statement on social media: He said he was “subject to discrimination and harassment and was threatened with law enforcement calling us.” The subject headings did not name the spa.
In the Snapchat video posted on March 30, Rose claims to be in a locker room with a group of female influencers. Rose said that as she was leaving, two Muslim women from their party were stopped and told they could not use the facilities while wearing burkinis. Rose, who speaks French, claimed that a member of staff told her that burkini were against the couple’s policies and directed them to purchase appropriate swimsuits from the spa shop.
In the video post, Rose claims that other influencers continued to go to the pool and that she was later told by a staff member that others in the pool felt “uncomfortable.” Rose claims the spa’s policy banning swimsuits is Islamophobic.
In videos posted on TikTok last weekend that went viral, a staff member at the QC Terme spa in Chamonix, France, is seen telling the group outside the building: “We just called the police. They’re coming.”
Yahoo News was unable to verify the video and attempted to contact QC Terme multiple times to confirm whether they had called the police and, if so, on what grounds. Yahoo News has also reached out to Rose and Topicals for additional comment.
Rose posted her videos on Snapchat, and fans reposted her clips on TikTok and it went viral; One of the re-uploads reached 1.5 million views.
One of the Muslim women who attended, May Tahmina Akhtar, said on her Instagram Stories: “It was a traumatic experience. “I’m sorry we all experienced this, but I’m also sad that a black-owned brand can’t even have a brand outing that celebrates its black and brown creators without this nonsense.”
In 2016, France implemented a much-publicized ban on wearing burkini in public pools and beaches. The law has led to situations where women have been forced to remove their burkinis by police officers or face fines. Following the reactions, the nationwide ban was lifted.
But towns across the country were able to ban burkini wearing in public pools instead. In June 2022, France’s highest administrative court ruled that full-body swimsuits, including burkini, should not be worn in public pools in the city of Grenoble, after the mayor of Grenoble challenged the law and argued that people should be allowed to dress however they want. like
Bénédicte Jeannerod, France director of Human Rights Watch, called the 2016 ban “shameful and absurd.”
In a statement posted on social media platforms on April 1, Topicals said this experience did not deter them from traveling with black and brown creators. He said: “At one of the establishments on our itinerary we experienced discrimination, harassment and were threatened with a law enforcement summons.
“Like any group of people, we should be able to enjoy the luxury of travel and finer experiences without the constant fear of hatred.”
Who is Nella Rose?
The TV presenter started his own YouTube channel while studying sociology at university. In 2020, she won YouTuber of the Year at the PrettyLittleThings influencer awards.
Rose later broke into mainstream TV in 2022, taking on the role of host in the UK version of dating reality docuseries Catfish, which airs on MTV. His most high-profile TV appearance was in the jungle in 2023, during which he denounced campmate Nigel Farage. He wants people like him to “go away” from the UK.
Rose told Farage “apparently you’re anti-immigrant” in a high-profile debate, and Farage said he read this online. As they both stood in the camp’s bathroom area, Rose asked: “Why don’t black people like you?”
Farage said: “You’ll be surprised at what he does.” Rose replied: “So everyone hates you for no reason?” Farage replied: “You can disagree with someone but it is deeply unfair to just brush off accusations.
“Isn’t it anti-immigrant? “No, no, all I’m saying is that we can’t continue with the numbers coming into Britain.”
Read more