The Traitors star Diane Carson is smashing ageist stereotypes as part of the country’s first national anti-ageism campaign.
Diane, famous for appearing on season two of The Traitors UK with her son Ross, has been sending shards of porcelain cups and TV screens flying in a rage room experience as part of the Age Without Limits campaign which is tackling the UK’s most widespread form of discrimination.
The retired teacher reduced everyday household items representing ageist stereotypes, covered in ageist statements and facts, to smithereens with hammers, crowbars and golf clubs to highlight the incredibly damaging impact of ageism on individuals and wider society, as part of our Age Without Limits campaign.
The campaign launched in January last year to change how we all think and act about age and is holding its second national Age Without Limits Day on June 11.
Traitors’ Diane, who was taking part in the rage room experience at Smash It Rage Rooms in London, says she was surprised at the accidentally ageist opinions of her fellow Traitors’ contestants who were so surprised she was physically fit and able in her 60s.
Diane said:
“In The Traitors, I was quite shocked at how shocked these younger people were about how fit I was in some of the challenges. And that annoys me a little bit because why can’t we be as we get older? I did become irritated by that because that was an ageist attitude on their part that older people couldn’t do it and of course we can.
“When I came out of The Traitors, I was asked by a celebrity ‘Did you apply for Traitors as a sort of last shot as you get older?’. And I was like no, I hadn’t even considered my age when I applied for Traitors. I don’t consider my age, ever. For anything. I was quite shocked by that question because I have never thought age would stop me doing anything.
“I don’t think anybody should be afraid of calling out ageism, or anything else for that matter. Everyone should feel confident enough if they don’t agree with something. If you as an older person feel you are being discriminated against, you should feel free to stand up and say, in a nice way, I think you are doing this because of my age. And support other people who you think are being discriminated against because it shouldn’t be happening.”
Harriet Bailiss, Co-head of the Age Without Limits campaign at the Centre for Ageing Better, said the popularity of Diane, who has become a national treasure since her appearance on the show, highlighted the demand of national TV audiences to see more older people represented on TV.
She added:
“It was thrilling to see all the ageist stereotypes and phrases reduced to smithereens in the rage room experience. I hope our campaign can have a similar impact in eradicating ageism from society.
“Ageism is the most widespread form of discrimination in the UK and the impactful it can have on people’s lives can be extremely destructive and limiting. It can impact the jobs we can get, the healthcare treatment we receive, our physical, mental and financial health, the ways we can express ourselves, or the ambitions we can pursue.
“It doesn’t need to be this way. Together, we can change these negative attitudes towards ageing and older people. Everyone deserves to age without limits and our campaign is aiming to make that a reality. Getting older can have its challenges but being treated negatively because of your age should never be one of them. It is not an inevitable part of ageing. It’s ageism.”
