Sky News commentator Sophie Elsworth slams Mike Carlton over Australian of the Year remarks

A Sky News commentator has slammed Mike Carlton for ridiculing a body image campaigner who was named 2023 Australian of the Year.

Sophie Elsworth, who is the media writer for The Australian newspaper, tore into the left-leaning journalist over his tweet about Taryn Brumfitt.

Ms Brumfitt is a former bodybuilder turned body image activist who was crowned our top Aussie at a glittering ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday night.

She has been championing body positivity for the last decade and encourages mothers to walk around naked in front of their children to make them more comfortable about the natural changes that happen to a body over time.  

Carlton took aim at Ms Brumfitt in a brutal tweet on Thursday, saying the Australian of the Year award should have gone to someone who doesn’t ‘make a buck out of saying it’s ok to be a bit fat.’

Sophie Elsworth (pictured), who is the media writer for The Australian, tore into the left wing commentator over his comments about Taryn Brumfitt

Ms Brumfitt, 44, is an activist, writer, director and public speaker who has been on a decade-long mission to change how we perceive ourselves

Carlton said he believed the Australian of the Year accolade should have been given to a different recipient like a healthcare worker. 

‘My Australian of the Year would be a doctor or nurse working nights in intensive care or the ED, dealing with COVID and daily death,’ he wrote.

‘Real, compassionate work. For very little money. NOT someone who makes a buck out of saying it’s ok to be a bit fat. Good night.’

Ms Elsworth is among a growing list of women who have spoken out against Carlton with the commentator labelling him an attention seeker on Thursday night. 

‘I’m loathe to talk about Mike Carlton because he has this habit of inserting himself into the story, and then he loves the attention that comes with it,’ she told Sky News.

‘But I think he’s completely missed the point of the Australian of the Year here, she’s really focused on body image and hopefully a lot of Australians will learn they don’t have to have the perfect body.

‘I think social media’s done immense damage on the body image perceptions that we have in society and I think a lot of good will come out of this.’

2GB host Ben Fordham joined the pile-on in a withering spray. ‘I think Mike needs to take his happy pills instead of trolling a woman who is on a mission to help kids,’ he said.  

Mr Carlton slammed the decision in an inflammatory tweet saying the award should have gone to someone who doesn’t ‘make a buck out of saying it’s ok to be a bit fat’

In a tweet posted after the announcement of Ms Brumfitt as the winner of the top Australia Day gong in Canberra on Wednesday night, veteran journalist Mike Carlton made his view of the decision known on his account with nearly 194,000 followers

Mr Carlton also tweeted ‘Who ? ? ?’ when news of Ms Brumfitt’s award first broke on Wednesday night

‘Every little girl should grow up seeing her mother naked’

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Former bodybuilder Taryn Brumfitt regularly walks around her home naked

Australian of the Year Taryn Brumfitt has revealed how she regularly walks around naked in front of her two sons – Oliver, 11, and Cruz, 9 – and daughter Mikaela, 8.

The former bodybuilder turned activist believes it’s vital for them to know how a woman’s body changes with age and insists they are all comfortable with her nudity.

‘It’s something I do mainly for my daughter’s benefit,’ she says. 

‘I know that, as a girl, it’s especially important she sees me unclothed — it facilitates an ongoing dialogue between us about the female body, and the way it changes throughout the course of a woman’s life.

‘In fact, I believe that every little girl should grow up seeing her mother naked on a regular basis.’

Sharna Bremner, the founder and director of End Rape on Campus Australia, tweeted: ‘Eating disorders are the third most common illness among young women in Australia & have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders,’ she posted. 

‘These two (Carlton and fellow journalist and supporter Paul Bongiorno) should be ashamed of their ignorance & s****y remarks.’

‘Disgusting, ignorant old white men. F*** them,’ another person responded.

‘I’m really sad to see this, it shows how much more education is needed around eating disorders, and for men to understand the female experience of being reduced to ornamentation our whole lives,’ tweeted Sonya Semmens.

The negative reaction to his tweet caused Mr Carlton to begin blocking those who objected to his view of Ms Brumfitt’s award.

‘Must have blocked around sixty morons of one sort or another in the last 24 hours. But it’s a sunny day and I have better things to do,’ he posted early on Australia Day.

Ms Bremner also shared a screenshot in which Mr Carlton had blocked her from his account. 

Ms Brumfitt, 44, is an activist, writer, director and public speaker who has been on a decade-long mission to change how we perceive ourselves. 

The Body Image Movement, which she founded in 2012, teaches people – young women in particular – to love and appreciate their bodies and has taken her to a global audience from her humble hometown of Adelaide.

In her speech accepting the award, Ms Brumfitt said body shaming had become a chronic national problem, with 70 per cent of schoolchildren citing it as their number one concern.

‘We’re facing a paediatric health emergency with rates of suicide, depression, eating disorders, anxiety and steroid use related to body dissatisfaction soaring,’ she told the audience.

‘We now know that young people with poor body image are 24 times more likely to be depressed and suffer from anxiety.

‘There is so much despair in this nation for children and adults when it comes to what we think and how we feel about our bodies.

 ‘Australia, it is not our life’s purpose to be at war with our body.’

Ms Brumfitt is a former bodybuilder turned body image activist who was crowned our top Aussie at a glittering ceremony in Canberra on Wednesday night