To think that Esther Rantzen justifying her affair with a married father of three

[Fleecyslippers]

Is pathetic and self serving and nauseating. I hadn't realised her marriage started as an affair.

I dislike her even more now.

[PessaryPam]

Who was it used to call her Esther Rancid, was it Private Eye? Always found her very false. About as yuk as JS really.

[SashaSashays]

You actually care that ER was with a married man.

HE was the one who was married, so HE was having the affair.

I still can't fathom why you care, I'm assuming you are bitter about a personal experience of yours which does make this thread slightly more understandable. However, people have affairs, its very common, has been going on since the beginning of monogamous relationships and has multiple causes, why ER specifically deserves hatred for this I don't know. I have friends who have had affairs or been in relationships with married men/women, am I supposed to drop them on this knowledge? Are those engaged in these type of relationships meant to be treated as pariahs, often for escaping relationships in which they are severely unhappy?

[Lovelygoldboots]

What is this thread about? What's your beef OP? The man is dead. I think this thread is self serving.

[WoTmania]

and? He was married, he had an affair. Yes it would have better if he had left his wife before embarking on the affair but he didn't. But of course she's a woman so automatically the one to blame in the view of some.
They had a long and happy marriage in the end. How is it any of your business?

[Lovelygoldboots]

One other thing. Childline was a massive step forward in empowering children to discuss abuse at a time when it was brushed under the carpet. There were clearly many people who knew about saville. If ER knew it does not mean she was complicit. She was forward thinking in ensuring there was a voice for children everywhere if they could get to a phone box. I think the criticism levelled at her is cheap and unfair.

[flippinada]

Agree lovely

[Mrsrobertduvall]

The are some very bitter people here.

[FergusSingsTheBlues]

I think ER was married too, was she not? Anyway, I never understand the idea that if the OW unmarried she is therefore free from any responsibility at all. You know what youre doing. I couldnt give a shit if that makes me sanctimonious.

My dads affair tore our family apart; only a few years later my sister met some fella who then left his own kids for her - she makes out like she was doing them all some massive favour. She certainly never thought my dads OW was doing us a favour at the time. Double standards much?

[Acandlelitshadow]

Yes, many people knew about Savile or had heard rumours and ER was self-admittedly one of them. Doesn't make her complicit at the time (although all who knew or had heard were IMO utterly craven and self serving) but as director of Childline she was in a unique position later on to put pressure on to have him investigated while he was still alive and didn't.

I don't give a monkey's about her personal life but her failure in that single respect was iniquitous.

[FutTheShuckUp]

Dont get the outrage- many second marriages are the result of affairs- some last a long time and are happy marriages and others not so much. Its a fact of life, you would hate a lot of people if this is your criteria to despise.

[MamaMumra]

Actually I dropped a friend who was having an affair.

[FutTheShuckUp]

You cant have been great mates to begin with then

[Mrsrobertduvall]

Fergus...ER was not married.
Get your facts right.

[Lighthousekeeping]

It's was common knowledge though, I remember reading it in my mothers Woman magazine many years ago.

[Mrsrobertduvall]

Woman magazine.
My mum used to get that. And womans weekly...which always makes Victoria Wood spring to mind

[DreamsTurnToGoldDust]

Perhaps some people should have a little look on the relationship boards and see just how devestating affairs are. No need to crucify her, but to try and justify it makes a little sick rise in your throat.

Futup, where are you getting your research from? Many second marriages are the result of affairs? I think most people in life realise that affairs are a shabby thing to do to someone.

[MamaMumra]

fut no not really - she was part of a group of friends and was a bit shifty. But you're right, never liked her too much if I'm honest so I happily ditched her.

[Fleecyslippers]

I blame my mothers failure to allow me to read Womens Weekly for my shocking lack of knowledge about Esther Ranthzen infidelity.

At the end of the day my isdue is with her public justification of her affair. Her 'performance'on national TV last night was awful. The details of how it was conducted, and for how long are grim.
I happen to believe in the sanctity of marriage and yes I have very personal reasons to hate the devastation that affairs cause. Its interesting that the fairly nasty labelling and name calling on this thread all come from people who are pro affair. If you believe that affairs are so right, why the need to get so angry in your defence....

[swallowedAfly]

it is more the horrendous way she made the children feel when their mother dies by writing about her and slagging her off.

that and the fact that she was friends with this woman, met her husband by being invited into her home and then proceeded to have an affair with him for years whilst still pretending to be this woman's friend and taking her hospitality and hanging around her house. vile.

and yes she knew about saville but she put her career and lifestyle first. the idea that people who make fame and fortune from choosing to go in at the 'charideee' side of entertainment rather than another route are somehow great wonderful people is bizarre.

she wanted fame and fortune and to be on tv - it turned out the route for her to do that most successfully was this persona of caring about children so she took that. zillions of people do real work for others without fame, fortune or self congratulatory image construction every day.

[FergusSingsTheBlues]

mrsrobert did you note the question mark????

Get some manners.

Mwah.

[OutsideOverThere]

I don't know anything about it and haven;'t watched whatever this was.

But I think it's interesting that people seem to be suggesting the fact it was an affair is somehow negated and justified by the fact the marriage lasted. Like if they hadn't stayed together, it would have been a horrid and sordid affair but as they did, that makes it all Ok.

[kimorama]

Esther was a bit crass on affairs; but shes a good broadcaster. The prog was too sentimental

[Fleecyslippers]

Dreams people who have affairs don't CARE about the devastation though. Thats what makes them capable of doing what they do. So they could read a hundred threads in relationships or lone parents and it STILL wouldn't convince them that their actions are wrong.

[4TheLoveOfBob]

People can be so bloody simple minded, moralistic and HORRIBLE

Really....

[FutTheShuckUp]

Why do I need to be bringing research to a thread about affairs ffs?
Many second marriages ARE the result of affairs whether you think its shabby immoralor whatever.