Breastfeeding Controversy

Controversy: Kate Langbroek feeds her baby on The Panel.

Kate’s feed makes TV history

19sep03

COMEDIAN Kate Langbroek made television history when she became the first celebrity to breastfeed live on TV.

But Langbroek’s late-night “TV snack” on The Panel sparked controversy yesterday.
Equal Opportunity Commissioner Diane Sisely applauded Langbroek for claiming her right to breastfeed in her workplace.

“I hope it becomes so unremarkable that there won’t be hysteria when other women do this,” she said.

But radio gossip regular Peter Ford criticised Langbroek for brazen breast-baring. “If your baby needs you that much, Kate, stay home,” he said.

The Panel regular breastfed Lewis for about five minutes during the closing segment of the show.

She did not expose her breasts.

It was Langbroek’s first TV appearance since Lewis’s birth five weeks ago.

Kate’s new breastfeeding row
Kate Langbroek breastfeeding in public has caused another storm
08apr04

THERE was drama at Seven Stones in St Kilda yesterday when radio host Kate Langbroek was asked to stop breastfeeding her baby in the restaurant.

Langbroek was flabbergasted at My Restaurant Rules contestant Peter Georgas’s request that she move to the lounge area to feed little Lewis Lewis, after she had finished her meal.

“I honestly thought he was joking,” she told The Eye.

Langbroek was at the restaurant with her husband Peter Lewis, as well as fellow Nova brekky hosts Dave Hughes, Dave O’Neil and the team’s producer, Sacha French.

The Eye team left the restaurant just before Langbroek was asked to move.

A regretful Georgas explained that he didn’t mean to offend Langbroek, but he, partner Tayissa Stel and the maitre d’ thought women breastfeeding would be more comfortable in the lounge, where it wasn’t so public.

He put it down to the huge learning curve of running a restaurant.

“I feel a bit stupid,” he said.

“I think I should have allowed it to happen, she was being good, she wasn’t doing it to be obvious or anything like that, it’s just that I’ve never seen anything like that before, that’s all.

“In future, mums are mums.”

In the end, Georgas explained his position to Langbroek, who caused a national debate last year after she breastfed on The Panel.

I say ” Go Kate Go”.

Lvu Kell