Entertainment
Lord Alan Sugar called out for ‘disgusting’ tweet spreading misinformation about HIV amid EastEnders storyline: ‘Educate yourself!’-Emily Bashforth-Entertainment – Metro
‘This is why the storyline is so important.’
Lord Alan Sugar has been urged to ‘get educated’ around the facts of HIV in 2023 (Picture: Richard Milnes/REX/Shutterstock)
Lord Alan Sugar has opinions on a new EastEnders storyline – and people are not happy with his misinformation.
The Apprentice star shared his views on the soap’s new storyline involving Zack Hudson (played by James Farrar), which sees him discover he has HIV (human immunodeficiency virus).
Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) is also pregnant with his child, meaning his year has got off to a rocky start for Zack.
The story is set to explore his reaction in the aftermath of his HIV revelation, as well as the treatment options and implications for Zack, reflecting what it is now like to live with the virus.
However, it seems Lord Sugar, 75, isn’t quite clued up when it comes to living with HIV in 2023, penning a tweet after watching the latest episode of the BBC drama.
‘So Zack might be HIV positive. If he is then the baby growing inside Tiffany could also be HIV,’ the businessman began.
EastEnders viewers are set to see Zack Hudon’s reaction to having HIV (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
He added: ‘If Zack gets tested and he is positive, he will have to tell Tiffany, she will have to decide if to terminate the pregnancy.’
Firstly, one thing Lord Sugar got wrong is that Tiffany is not, in fact, expecting Zack’s child.
Secondly, and striking concern in followers, people living with HIV can and do give birth to HIV negative children.
Highlighting the inaccuracy of the TV star’s tweet, a follower reminded him: ‘Life with HIV is very very different now. Science is amazing.’
‘Being on HIV treatment, with an undetectable viral load, lowers the chances of the baby being born with HIV to just 0.1%’, replied another, quoting numbers from the Terrance Higgins Trust.
Amy Anzel, who starred on The Apprentice in 2021, also expressed her anger: ‘Ugh, seriously! Educate yourself before commenting on things you clearly know nothing about.’
The Apprentice star got things totally wrong with regards to how HIV is passed on (Picture: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)
Others urged Lord Sugar to use his platform of 5.2million to share ‘up to date’ information, encouraging him to ‘do better’ after ‘showing his ignorance.’
’Is @Lord_Sugar the next person to be cancelled? What a disgusting thing to say? Why the hell would you even tweet that? If you have no education about something….you have no right to comment! Disgusting’, another Twitter user blasted.
In information shared exclusively with Metro.co.uk ahead of EastEnders latest storyline, Dr Kate Nambiar, Medical Director of the Terrence Higgins Trust, broke down the misconceptions surrounding passing on HIV and pregnancy.
Whitney Dean is currently expecting Zack’s baby in the BBC soap (Picture: BBC/Jack Barnes/Kieron McCarron)
How is HIV passed on to other people?
‘It’s important to know that HIV can only be passed on through blood, semen, vaginal fluid, anal mucus and breast milk. It’s not passed on by spitting, sneezing, coughing, kissing or general social contact,’ explains Dr Nambiar of Terrance Higgins Trust.
‘HIV is not passed on easily from one person to another. Some people think if you have unprotected sex with an HIV positive person once, you will definitely contract the virus – but that isn’t the case.
‘However, you are more likely to pass it on to others in the early months of contracting it when the virus is replicating a lot. If Zack’s used condoms then it is feasible that he wouldn’t have passed it on to anyone.’
When asked if Whitney and her baby will be ok, Dr Nambiar said: ‘All pregnant people in the UK are offered an HIV test to reduce the number of babies born with the virus. Thanks to this and the incredible treatment advances, vertical HIV transmission rarely happens in the UK now.’
She added: ‘People living with HIV do give birth to HIV negative children. If someone who is pregnant tests positive for HIV, they’ll be advised to start treatment straight away.
‘This is a crucial way to prevent the virus being transmitted to the baby during pregnancy or birth.’
More: Trending
The charity adds that the most recent estimate suggests there were 106,890 people living with HIV in the UK, and HIV diagnoses have been declining since their peak in 2005.
We will have to wait to see how Zack’s storyline pans out in the long-running soap, but the show has worked closely with experts to ensure they accurately reflect straight people’s experiences with HIV, given that TV plays a vital role in educating audiences and busting myths from the 1980s.
If you have any questions about HIV, you can contact Terrence Higgins Trust’s free and confidential helpline THT direct. Call 0808 802 1221 between 10am and 6pm, Monday to Friday.
If you’ve got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@metro.co.uk – we’d love to hear from you.
Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage.
MORE : EastEnders spoilers: Exit drama as Sam makes her final decision over leaving forever with Ricky
MORE : EastEnders brothers in iconic reunion after star’s exit last year
Entertainment – MetroRead More
