The singer says she felt “compelled to wade in and speak” after learning of abuse being directed at photos taken of her on stage.
Singer-Songwriter Ruth Anne told The Hard Shoulder host Ciara Kelly that the treatment singer CMAT had been exposed to as of late was “a female singer’s plight”.
CMAT posted on her Instagram last night that she is “deeply saddened” over body-shaming after her BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend performance.
Other female singers such as Olivia Dean and Zara Larson have recently spoken out about body shaming they have received online.
“We're constantly being scrutinised for our appearance”, singer-songwriter Ruth-Anne explained.
“It's just never enough. I think it's such a shame because CMAT is such a huge Irish export right now. She just won the Ivor Novello Award for the album of the year and no one's talking about it.
“I think when a female starts becoming very powerful, too outspoken, too who they are, people want to tear them down and it's actually vile and shameful.”
She urged anyone tempted to make comments about public figures’ bodies on social media platforms to ‘think twice before they post’.
“Think twice because you just don't know what anyone is going through.
“We should be talking and celebrating the fact that we have an Irish female artist out there winning Ivor Novello Awards, playing these big festivals and representing our music and our culture in the best way and playing Coachella.
“And instead, people are commenting on her weight and what she wears. It absolutely is boring.”
She added that “enough was enough” and that CMAT’s musical achievements are what people should be focusing on.
Ms Anne compared high profile situations where women in the public eye have been judged for their bodies such as Kelly Osbourne and the late Caroline Flack.
“It’s not something she should even have to address”, she said about CMAT.
“She should be flying high after a performance like that where she absolutely smashes.
“I think that everybody needs to just take a step back and take a pause and remember that she's someone's daughter and she's a human being and she's an amazing talent.”
Since the backlash, Radio One has released a statement saying they fully support CIMAT and condemn any toxic commentary aimed at her.
“She performed a phenomenal set at Radio 1's Big Weekend, which received an amazing reaction from the crowd in Sunderland and from those who've enjoyed it, as I did on iPlayer and Sounds.
“We're in contact with CMAT and her team and have offered our full support and we have now disabled the comments on Radio 1's social posts featuring CMAT from the Big Weekend.”
Main Image: CMAT.
