Earlier this month, Loose Women launched its powerful Facing It Together domestic abuse awareness campaign…
During today’s show, it was revealed that several key domestic abuse advocacy charities have seen an increase in the number of enquiries asking for help and support as a result.
Sharing the update on-air, Charlene said: “We have to be proud of the impact that we can have on programmes such as this and I think possibly it’s one of the only programmes that can get to the bottom of issues such as that.”
“Respect, one of the leading organisations working with male survivors of domestic abuse, have revealed that demand for the Respect Men’s Advice Line website increased by 81% on the day Facing It Together launched, telling Loose Women: “This campaign has reached a new audience who need us.”
Refuge, who run the National Domestic Abuse Helpline shown on-air during the specials, told Loose Women that the charity ‘had to put extra staff on the phone lines and live chat services that week to accommodate an increased demand’.
Prior to today’s show, Denise Welch said: “I wanted to support Loose Women’s Facing It Together campaign because I’m committed and passionate about helping people in abusive situations move on, partly because of my own personal experience where many years ago I was in, what I would call, an emotionally abusive relationship for several years. So, it’s reassuring to hear that people feel they have the strength to reach out for the support they need, if we speak out and face this together. We need anyone that’s going through something similar to know that there are people out there that want to help and if they can talk about it, to know that there are people that will listen to them.”
Continuing the important conversation on social media, the campaign images and videos shared on Loose Women’s own social platforms reached over 7M users – up by over ten per cent on the previous week. The number of video views on the show’s social media platforms increased by staggering 80% and a clip of Mel B discussing domestic abuse is Loose Women’s most shared post on Instagram and TikTok this year.
In addition, Women’s Aid saw an uplift of visits to its online platforms and SafeLives saw post impressions, in support of the campaign, achieve 2000% above the industry benchmark on ‘X’ and said: “We were pleased to see that social media engagement in support of the campaign far exceeded industry benchmarks across several measurements, gaining us new followers and enthusiastic engagement in support of the campaign.
Loose Women’s Facing It Together domestic abuse awareness campaign, guided by Women’s Aid and SafeLives, aims to highlight the help available to those living with domestic abuse and the key ways in which friends and family can spot the signs or support loved ones living with domestic abuse.
Brenda Edwards, Charlene White, Denise Welch, Frankie Bridge, Judi Love, Kelle Bryan, Olivia Attwood-Dack and Sunetra Sarker all recently took part in an emotive photoshoot and short film to raise awareness around this important issue and say “Whether you are a survivor or a friend, we are facing it together.”
Denise, Olivia, Kelle and Brenda, all four of whom have personally experienced domestic abuse, stand shoulder to shoulder with their fellow panellists and friends in the key image and film – in a show of support and solidarity with those currently facing domestic abuse, as well as survivors, and to let them know that they’re not alone. During a special episode of the lunchtime show, Denise Welch, Olivia Attwood-Dack, Kelle Bryan, Janet Street-Porter, Brenda Edwards and Sophie Morgan also bravely opened up on their own personal experiences of domestic abuse.
The campaign was launched on the same week ITV put a convicted wife-beater onto prime time television, which gained complaints from viewers, and indeed Women’s Aid.
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on STV, ITV1, ITVX and STV Player
