Siân Welby, Roman Kemp and Chris Stark made comments on the Capital FM breakfast radio show which sparked Ofcom complaints (Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage)
This Morning’s Siân Welby and Roman Kemp have been hit with more than 100 Ofcom complaints over ‘damaging’ and ‘bullying’ remarks they made about a small business, which listeners have slammed.
Alongside ex-Radio 1 DJ Chris Stark, the trio of presenters upset Chocolate Moments owner Maria Antoniou as well as a raft of fans when they made ‘vile’ and ‘uncalled for’ remarks which appeared to ridicule one of her products.
Maria, who has appeared on Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4, has had viral success with her Bar of Crisps, which stuffs blocks of chocolate with potato chips in flavours including cheese and onion, salt and vinegar and even lamb and mint.
However, the trio targeted Maria’s business – reducing her to tears – as they laughed over the product when they saw that production was on hold during a Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp show last week.
‘So what? It’s already failed? It’s gone into bankruptcy already? Oh no! I was quite excited,’ Welby joked on air, over a mocking jaunty tune, as she looked over the flavours on offer and questioned its popularity.
‘It says it’s all out of stock. Do you think it’s ever been in stock?,’ she added, laughing.
The presenting trio were accused of making ‘bullying’ comments by fans after appearing to make fun of a woman’s small business on their show (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Stark then chimed in to criticise the quality of Chocolate Moments’ website as looking ‘like a child’s made it’, while Welby wondered out loud if she ‘had a virus on my computer now’.
New This Morning presenter Welby also admitted that she didn’t ‘even want to say the brand in case it’s some kind of con,’ while the trio mocked that the website included Maria’s name and a mobile number as contact information.
Welby also quipped that Chocolate Moments was ‘probably being run out of a garage’.
Ofcom confirmed to Metro.co.uk that 107 complaints had been received in relation to Capital Breakfast with Roman Kemp on Monday, January 15.
Chocolate Moments founder Maria Antoniou invented the Bar of Crisps, which was mocked for being out of stock (Picture: Instagram/@chocolate_momentsuk/Maria Antoniou)
‘Complaints related to comments made by the presenters about a product which combined chocolate with crisps – specifically that suggestions that the business website was a con were potentially damaging,’ the statement read.
‘It was just really hurtful and knocked my confidence a huge amount. I cried a lot and it was only the support of my loyal customers that really got me through it,’ Maria told Metro.co.uk.
‘Not having stock at the moment is hugely frustrating, but I’m trying my hardest to find a UK based manufacturer to make them for me.’
Welby, who has been fronting This Morning this week as well, also questioned the quality of Maria’s website alongside Stark, which led to 107 Ofcom complaints (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock)
This came after demand far outstripped supply for Bar of Crisps, with a message at the top of the Chocolate Moments website confirming that Maria ‘now cannot physically make them alone’.
She also said she felt she was ‘used for some cheap laughs’ and was unimpressed with private ‘apologies’ received.
Sharing a clip of herself listening along to the show and reacting on the official @chocolate_momentsuk Instagram account, Maria wrote in the caption: ‘So many have said how triggering the comments, cackling and bullying behaviour is so I’ve added in a warning.
Maria and her Bar of Crisps were defended by followers online after she shared a clip from the show (Picture: Instagram/@chocolate_momentsuk/Maria Antoniou)
‘So keen to hear your thoughts on the utter annihilation of my website, phone number, email…!!!’
She was flooded with support in the comments, as @homeorganised_at_no10 responded: ‘I think you need to apologise to the lady behind the @chocolate_momentsuk who started this incredible small business and I must say the chocolate is amazing maybe you should try it before you laugh and be horrible. Kindness.’
‘Wow!! What a bunch of bullies!! They sound horrible!’ wrote Liz. ‘If they ever do a phone in you should call them and call them out on their behaviour!! How dare they ridicule someone’s business like that!’
Nicola Dunklin chimed in: ‘Oh what a shame! Can’t they think that they are totally messing with someone’s livelihood? A business you have put your heart and soul in to, and worked hard at building up, for years. How mean of them. Definitely get in touch.’
The small business owner said the radio hosts comments were ‘really hurtful’ (Picture: Getty)
Other said they were ‘shocked’ at the presenters’, behaviour as well as branding it ‘disgusting’ and ‘uncalled for’.
User @teechudesigns labelled it ‘absolutely shameful behaviour’, adding: ‘I hope you do get an apology and a lot of positive response from all of this!’
On Instagram, Maria followed up to thank her followers for their ‘love, support and validation’.
‘I’ve turned comments off now as I really didn’t want to start a war with the radio station or its presenters. As much as their words hurt, I just want to focus on finding a manufacturer,’ she wrote.
She also revealed that two of the three presenters had contacted her but dismissed the ‘apology’ received as ‘very flippant and not meaningful’.
Maria has also claimed to Metro.co.uk that she has yet to receive any kind of apology from Global or the third presenter.
Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for Global, Roman Kemp, Sian Welby and Chris Stark for comment.
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The presenters are accused of ‘mocking’ a small business, alongside Chris Stark.