Dear Linda: Plus Size Awards

Dear Linda

While I appreciate that unless your statement said “I’m really sorry, here have your money back” no one would have been happy, I think your statement is nothing less than a shambles – it was over 80 words into your statement before you even said you were sorry. People reading your statement are hundreds of pounds down, waited a week to hear from you and you thought it was more important to tell us about your 21 years in the industry than it was to actually apologise.

I agree you have done some fantastic work within the plus-size industry, but your action over the past 7 days has literally destroyed that. People are doubting other events nothing to do with you, events that are to do with you have been cancelled and people have such little faith in what is happening that we’re arguing with each other. That wipes out anything you claim to have done over the past 20 years. You ruined it and you’re not even sorry.

I understand that you are protecting yourself from possible legal cases and being careful with your non-committal of words, but you haven’t given anyone any answers. Who were the winners? Will they get their awards? Will brands who sent you items for goody bags get their items back? Will you even TRY to get us refunds? Your testament is nothing but a subtle reminder of the good you have apparently done for the industry while giving us literally nothing surrounding the actions of the last week.

You claim to have exhausted every avenue to avoid the cancellation of the plus-size awards but this is simply not true. I know of no brands you have asked for the help of. You could have asked bloggers. You could have done a cut down event and explained to people why it had to happen – at least people would have had somewhere to go, instead of being turfed out of a venue, in many cases on the other side of the world from home – with literally no backup plan!

Your lack of passion in the statements you have issued, your refusal to show any empathy and your reluctance in giving any answers is very telling in the passion you put into saving the plus size awards and quite frankly the damage you have done to this industry is unforgivable, I only hope it’s one that can be fixed.

Debz