Jay Slater: Carol Vorderman outrage as she makes comparison to missing teen with own 'disappearance' story - 'All about her!'
Carol Vorderman has been slammed for her comparison to Jay Slater
LBC/HANDOUT
Carol Vorderman, 63, has been accused of "making it all about her" after she opened up about a tough time in her life on her radio show.
In light of Jay Slater's disappearance, Vorderman welcomed Paul Joseph from the charity Missing People to go over the case and explore why disappearances occur.
The search for Slater has entered its eighth day with Spanish police in Tenerife still unable to track down the 19-year-old's whereabouts.
Mountain rescue teams, local police, the Civil Guard, fire crews, and Slater's family and friends have joined in the search on the island.
Footage has emerged in recent days showing Slater in the hours before he was reported missing while his father and mother have both made urgent appeals amid working theories.
Discussing the case on LBC, Vorderman admitted that seeing Slater in the news led her to reflect on the time she wanted to "disappear" following the death of Countdown host, Richard Whiteley.
"I just had to disappear."
— LBC (@LBC) June 23, 2024
"There's no shame in it; that's why I'm telling this story for the first time."
In light of Jay Slater's story, @carolvorders recounts the time she went missing to @missingpeople's Paul Joseph. pic.twitter.com/nzznOuBpfo
"It was a few weeks after - you see, it will start me off," Vorderman said as she became emotional. "Richard Whiteley died, and he died quite suddenly.
"We worked together for over 20 years, and every day people would talk to me about him, even though I wasn’t with him. We were very, very close.
"There was a great love between us, and I couldn’t cope, I just couldn’t cope. I couldn’t cope with being in the public eye about it, I just didn’t know what to do.
"I was divorced at the time but living with someone and so my children were with my former husband, their day - they were only young then - for that weekend and I just had to disappear.
Jay Slater went missing in Tenerife last week PA "I didn’t want anyone I knew around me, I just got in my car and I drove.
"I eventually found a hotel and I didn’t have anything with me, I had my purse, and just locked myself away then, switched my phone off, all of that."
Vorderman continued: "I felt better after, I just stayed in that room just to get my thoughts together really.
"So I do understand when people feel that that’s their only option, I really do. There’s no shame about it, that’s why I’m telling this story for the first time because there’s no shame, everyone has those moments, I believe, at some point."
The presenter was met with applause from some for her candor and decision to open up about the vulnerable time in her life, but others felt it bore no relevance to the case of Slater.
"Making it about herself as always..." one fan fumed in response to a clip of the moment on X, formerly Twitter.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Carol Vorderman hosts a radio show for LBC
GETTY
"How the f**k has this anything in common with Slater?" a second questioned before another accused: "You making the Jay story about you."
"It’s all about her isn’t it really," a fourth criticised, but Vorderman was defended by others, including one who argued: "I know it can be hard when you have a close friend like Richard dying and taking a toll on you. That was quite the story. Enjoyed your show as always."
A second similarly backed her: "Brave lady to recount her mental health trauma to help others in the same boat on the edge of an emotional Breakdown; well done Carol V & thanks for your candour." (sic)
Vorderman isn't the only celebrity to have shared their thoughts on the Slater case, with Corrie's Vicky Entwistle providing updates from her brother in Spain.