Emma Willis defends son Ace’s ‘individual’ dress sense: ‘Why would I try to suppress that?’

Presenter was praised for ‘breaking gender stereotypes’ after sharing picture of Ace, eight, in a pink crop top

Emma Willis has said that she refuses to “suppress” her son Ace’s “individuality”.

In October, the presenter shared a rare photo of her “little style icon” Ace, in which the eight-year-old sported a pink cropped t-shirt, blue baggy jeans and wore his blonde hair long.

While The Voice host was widely praised for “breaking gender stereotypes” in sharing the photo, some critics questioned his choice of clothes.

Speaking to Fabulous, Willis said that negative reactions had left her feeling like the Incredible Hulk and wanting to “scream at the world”.

“I’m so protective of my kids and this was just a young boy expressing himself the way he wants to,” she said. “I thought: ‘Did you not watch Eighties dance movies? All the boys wore crop tops and it was cool!’”

Describing Ace as “very individual”, she continued: “He dresses the way he wants and he’s really happy doing that. Why would I try to suppress that?

“The response was a big eye-opener, because for me, it’s just Ace, he’s my son and that’s the way he’s always been. So it did massively make me start thinking about stereotyping and how bonkers it is that a boy, just because he has long hair and is wearing pink, is mistaken for a girl.”

Willis has previously admitted to finding the response to Ace’s photo “overwhelming”, explaining: “It’s just my son in a pink top. And for me that’s kind of normality.”

The presenter has three children, Isabelle, 11, Ace, eight, and Trixie, four, with Busted musician Matt Willis.