Gogglebox star Simon Minty, 55, has opened up about a "horrible" situation where he was followed by children in a store who cruelly pointed and laughed at him.
He tweeted: "Today, some 12yo boys came up to me to point and laugh. I said ‘grow up’. I carried on shopping, which took some courage as they followed me. Nearly spoke with shop security, it was that horrible. Left for the safety of Waitrose, bumped in to a special friend and rallied."
The TV personality added: "Thank you to everyone who commented and sent support, love, hugs and wisdom. It was a lovely surprise, overwhelming and kind. Take care and thank you."
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He then spent time reassuring his followers that he was doing okay. One person replied: "I'm so sorry to hear this! As a mother I’d be appalled and broken if my child did this. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the weekend," while another added: "Must have been a day for it, Simon. Experienced stare central yesterday when out and about. Haven’t felt this uncomfortable for a long while. Glad you found your friend to help decompress with. Support makes a difference."
© TwitterSimon replied: "I know I'm not alone Steph. Happens to many of us, thankfully not too often." Replying to another person, he added: "There was some peer pressure going on too. I was going to tell them ‘one or more of you isn’t comfortable with what you’re doing right now, stand up for what you believe and you will have a better life than the others.’" \
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He also spoke about how nice it was to see a friend in the store, which improved his day. "In my head I thought, I need a 'good moment' before I head home...and then I bumped in to her," he wrote. "Yep, world turned in my favour…. Mostly it doesn’t get through the armour but occasionally it does. My friend was a treat."
Simon leads a consultancy firm focused on improving conditions for disabled staff. On Sminty Ltd’s website, it reads: "Simon has personal experience of disability being of short stature and limited mobility. He uses a mobility scooter for distance. He enjoys an active social media presence, and blogs frequently on current affairs and topics."
The TV personality has been a fan favourite since appearing on the show will his sister Jane since 2021 - and we can’t wait to see them back on our screens!
