I don’t blame hairdressers for banning toxic gossip mags after Caroline Flack’s death – we need a detox

We need a break from nasty coverage. Try it, you’ll be surprised how much lighter you feel, writes Jenny Eclair

Businesses are removing publications that prey on vulnerable women and celebrities (Getty)

“Guilty pleasure reading” at the hairdressers has long been a habit for many of us. Obviously, we wouldn’t buy that rubbish ordinarily, but if you’re sitting with a plastic bag on your head while the bleach takes for an hour, then it can be quite tempting to flick through a pile of gossip magazines.

Only in light of the appalling and seemingly avoidable death of Caroline Flack, hairdressers up and down the country are telling their clients that they will no longer be giving shelf space to what has essentially become a toxic pile of spite.

Ok, before we all get too self-righteous here, not all women’s magazines are horrid. There are actually quite a lot of fashion, health and beauty publications, both weekly and monthly that are great for an occasional browse. Personally, I adore looking at fantasy fashion spreads and checking out handbags which cost more than I paid for my car. And as a one-time cover girl for Woman’s Weekly, I’m all for being reminded about interesting things I can do with mince.