Sky Sports presenter Michelle Owen is accused of putting her toddler son on a LEAD after mum shamers mistook a ribbon for reins in Twitter beach photo
- Presenter Michelle Owen, 31, posted a snap of herself, her 21-month-old son Zac and her pet dog on the beach – but found herself accused of ‘horrible parenting’
- Some thought that the photo showed the toddler on reins forcing the Sky Sports star to clarify that her son was actually simply standing near a rainbow ribbon
- She wrote: ‘My non furry son is not on a leash. But so what if he was?’
- Later, Owen posted another photo of Zac wearing a dinosaur backpack that did come with reins for parents
A presenter for Sky Sports has revealed how she was accused of putting her 21-month-old son ‘on a lead’ after she posted a photo of him on the beach.
Michelle Owen, 31, shared a cheery image of herself enjoying a day out with her young son Zac and the family’s pet dog.
However, one person who saw the image spotted a colourful rainbow ribbon near Zac and assumed it was a rein that Owen had control over, responding: ‘Child on a lead? Really?’
Another raged: ‘It’s awesome you treat you dog as well as your son…really a leash!?! Horrible parenting!’
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Sports presenter Michelle Owen, 31, posted a snap of herself, her 21-month-old son Zac and her pet dog on the beach – but faced some misguided ‘judgement’
The presenter responded quickly, saying there was ‘so much judgement’ on the social media platform and clarified that Zac was in fact simply standing next to the colourful ribbon.
She wrote: ‘My non furry son is not on a leash. But so what if he was?
‘Sometimes people do put toddlers on a harness as they literally run off. So much judgement on here, without even properly looking too.’
Earlier, she’d clarified that the ‘lead’ was in fact a ‘ribbon streamer which he loves waving around’.
However, the angry tweets continued, with one of the previous posters writing: ‘Treats her child with the same care she treats a dog.’
Some thought that the photo showed the toddler on reins forcing the Sky Sports star to clarify that her son was actually simply standing near a rainbow ribbon
Later she posted another photo of Zac wearing a dinosaur backpack that did come with reins for parents, saying: ‘Yep Zac has a little dinosaur backpack! Don’t use it much but he is so headstrong he thinks it’s fine to trot off and he’s quick!’
Owen, who was on duty at Wembley for the broadcaster last night, then posted a photograph of her son wearing a backpack that did have a rein that parents could hold on to on it, after a fellow Twitter user joked they were on reins ‘until I was about 12 tbf’.
She wrote: ‘Hope they were as cool as these’.
The 31-year-old later added: ‘Yep Zac has a little dinosaur backpack! Don’t use it much but he is so headstrong he thinks it’s fine to trot off and he’s quick!’
Other parents added their thoughts, with many supporting Owen on the issue and saying they had similar backpacks for their own children.
One wrote: ‘Are people really giving jip about having her child on reigns? Even though he actually isn’t? My aunt and uncle took me to Wembley to watch Micheal Jackson when I was 5 and I was on an actual dogs lead.’
Another added: ‘My son ran anywhere and everywhere from the moment he could walk. His nickname was Gump because he just ran and ran! Reins the only thing that would slow him down.’