Charlotte Church: singer speaks about Chris Moyles’ comments on Channel 4 documentary - what did radio DJ say?

Singer Charlotte Church has opened up about being sexualised from a young age in a new Channel 4 documentary.

Comedian Kathy Burke hosts the new documentary ‘Kathy Burke: Growing Up’. In the show, which airs on Wednesday 8 March at 10pm on Channel 4, Burke speaks to a range of different people about their experience growing older in life.

In one of the segments on the show, Church spoke frankly to the host about how she was forced to grow up much quicker than some others. She had been a star in the charts since her childhood, releasing top ten albums from the age of 12.

However, she told Burke in the Channel 4 show that attention turned to her sexuality as she reached puberty, peaking at around 15 to 16-years-old. British media was rampant with inappropriate comments on the teenager, including The Daily Star printing an image of the then 15-year-old performer alongside the headline “She’s a big girl now ... chest swell!” in 2001 as well as being awarded ‘Rear of the Year’ at the age of 16.

During the documentary, Church said that hitting puberty meant that she was “fair game” in the eyes of many. Here’s everything you need to know about the situation.

What did Chris Moyles say about Charlotte Chruch when she was a teenager?

According to The Guardian, the radio segment, aired in 2002 on his popular Radio 1 drivetime show, saw the DJ comment on the fact that the popular singer had now turned 16-years-old. He described how he wanted to “lead her through the forest of sexuality now she had reached 16”.

Years later when appearing on the former Channel 4 chatshow The Charlotte Church Show, he discussed the comments, telling the singer: “You were gonna be 16, and I offered to take your virginity.” This clip was shown as context in the Kathy Burke-led documentary.

At the time, the Broadcasting Standards Agency said that his comments had went over-the-line. It said that Moyles’ “explicit sexual content and humour had exceeded acceptable boundaries for the time of transmission”.

What did Charlotte Church say about the comments?

In the new Channel 4 documentary, Church described the affect the sexual attention had on her at such a young age. She told Burke: “There was just this shift where I sort of became fair game. Of course, it wasn’t good, but at least it was out in the open.”

She then explained that she believes “lad” culture in 2023 may actually be more dangerous that in the early noughties. Church said: “That ‘lads, lads, lads’ culture was prominent, it was very simplistic, it was unashamed.

“It was just out there and everybody knew what it was. Whereas now, somehow it’s become a bit more underground and a bit more dangerous, I feel.”

NationalWorld has approached Chris Moyles’ representatives for a comment.