NSPCC apologises for cutting ties with transgender model Munroe Bergdorf

Children's charity boss admits he did not manage to speak to model before announcement was made

The NSPCC has publicly apologised to Munroe Bergdorf for how it cut ties with the transgender model just days after revealing her as the face of one of its campaigns.

The children’s charity ended its relationship with Ms Bergdorf on Friday, two days after announcing she would be part of a three-month LGBTQ+ campaign.

Last Wednesday, the model tweeted that she was “proud to be announced as Childline’s first LGBT+ campaigner”.

The announcement came on the same day that Childline revealed it had carried out more than 6,000 counselling sessions with children and young people about issues relating to gender and sexuality in the last year.

But on Friday the NSPCC, which runs Childline, posted a statement on its website saying Ms Bergdorf had been incorrectly referred to as an “ambassador”, and that she “will have no ongoing relationship with Childline or the NSPCC”.

The charity’s chief executive Peter Wanless revealed on Wednesday that he had offered a “full, frank and unreserved apology” to the model, who described the situation as “extremely stressful and unnecessary”.

In a public statement, he said the charity’s decision to stop its association with her had nothing to do with her being transgender, but was because of “concern around the lack of process that our organisation used when deciding to work with Munroe”.

He added: “When appointing an ambassador we are required to consider whether the relationship supports our ability to safeguard children and be influential in safeguarding children.

“The board decided an ongoing relationship with Munroe was inappropriate because of her statements on the public record, which we felt would mean that she was in breach of our own risk assessments and undermine what we are here to do.

“These statements are specific to safeguarding and equality.”

The NSPCC declined to give further detail on the content of statements it was referring to.

Mr Wanless said the charity should not have cut ties with Ms Bergdorf in the way it did, acknowledging that they had not managed to speak directly to her before making the announcement on Friday.

The model tweeted: “I appreciate the formal apology NSPCC. This situation has been extremely stressful and unnecessary. I just want to move on from the whole ordeal.”

Last year, Ms Bergdorf quit as an LGBT+ adviser to the Labour Party a week after taking up the post, blaming the “endless attacks” on her character in the press, saying she did not want to be a “distraction”.

She previously lost her job with cosmetics giant L’Oreal following allegations of anti-white racism.

Press Association contributed to this report.