Kirstie Allsopp Defends Son's European Trip

Kirstie Allsopp, a well-known TV presenter, has come under scrutiny after she allowed her 15-year-old son, Oscar, to travel across Europe with a friend to celebrate his GCSE completion. Following her social media post about the trip, social services contacted her, opening a file amid child protection concerns, which Allsopp described as a 'malicious call' that she believes would not have happened if she were an ordinary citizen. She expressed outrage at the involvement of social services, calling the situation 'sick' and indicative of a worrying trend in society towards risk aversion and overprotectiveness of children. Allsopp's friends and social media users have largely supported her stance, reminiscing about their own independent travels as children, while some still question the appropriateness of such freedom at 15. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) clarified that they have a legal duty to investigate all referrals, despite Allsopp asserting that she has done nothing wrong. This incident has sparked a broader debate on parenting, independence, and societal norms regarding children's safety.