Ann Widdecombe Versus… Prostitution, Wednesday 10pm, ITV1

Posted by Helen Jennings

Our rating:
Unfortunately the first episode of this new series does not, as the title suggests, feature the Tory MP wrestling hookers, although some men would pay good money for that I’m sure. Instead, Widdecombe is tackling the vice trade head on by visiting some of the UK’s meanest streets to confront pimps, hookers and kerb-crawlers.

Never one to shirk a sticky situation, our Ann hits red light districts in Manchester, Southampton and Peterborough to assess how effectively the government is dealing with the problems created by the world’s oldest profession.

Reality bites when punters wind down their car windows expecting to meet a lady of the night – and are instead faced with the ex-Home Office minister asking them “Are you looking for the services of a prostitute?”.

As they speed off one after the other into the darkness, it soon becomes clear that this redoubtable politician is onto something. If the laws aren’t keeping the sex trade at bay, just send Ann out as a one-woman deterrent. If that doesn’t do the trick, nothing can…

Comments

[Jackie Hadfield]

I recently watched Ann's show on people living off benefits. I was very distressed by this programme for several reason:-

My sister had to sell the marital home when her husband left her with three young children and refused to pay half the mortgate.

Because the mortgage wasn't paid the mortgage co., wanted to repossess the property fortunately she managed to find a buyer and sell just in time before eviction.

My sister then went into a private rent for 6mths the lender then wanted the property back, so she was frantic looking for another property, which she found with a week to spare.

This time she took a private rent for a year to give some stability to the children.

My sister then gets an eviction notice because the lady she is renting from hasn't being paying the mortgage she was told she had two weeks to get out.

So she approached the Trafford Council who told her that because she was working part-time term time to accommodate the children and school, then she wasn't a priority unless she gives up her job and goes on full benefits and basically she would have to look to family and friends by the way her mother and father are both dead, the husband says it's her problem and his mother has no contact with the children. No wonder this country is in a state I agree with Ann get them back to work and help those who are trying to help themselves

[Bryan Owen]

This was without doubt as bad a program as I thought it was going to be. Having started off with her open diatribe that ALL prostitutes are probable drug addicts, she then demonised the problem in the style of a reporter for the Daily Mail.
Everything was the current government's fault (despite her previous tenure as a Home Office Minister where she could have done something)and these girls were rude nasty people.
Her sensationalist approach to speaking to the girls did not help (hello, I'm chasing you up the street with a film crew and I want to talk to you. Oh you don't want to be identified, and oh you don't want to talk to me. Why? {doh!} Finish with obvious comment that was aimed as being witty, NOT!).
In fact it was not until the very last minute of the programme that she actually addressed the underlying issues or possible solutions to the problems that the people affected by the girls were facing, that of helping these girls away from the self-distructive lifes they are leading.
Added to this the stereotypical view of the people affected (Southerner - family man, affluent suburb, Northener - older person, fag in hand, dangly earings, council estate) and it smacked of simply being a vehicle to promote Ms Widdecombe and her view of what 'the silent majority of British people' think.
Sorry Ann. Whilst we sympathse with the problems of the residents, you offered us no insight into an age-old problem beyond what we know already. You also failed to provide a realistic solution to help the girls or to solve the problem apart from scaring away punters who will only go elsewhere. You failed as a Minister, and guess what you failed again as a reporter.