Ocado has issued an unreserved apology to parenting site Mumsnet after controversial remarks about the platform's political views led to the sudden termination of their commercial partnership, highlighting tensions around gender reforms and advertising relationships.
Ocado has issued an unreserved apology to parenting website Mumsnet following remarks that suggested the platform held “hateful political views.” The apology comes after Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts revealed that Ocado abruptly ended a commercial partnership with the site.
Roberts explained in a post on Mumsnet that the partnership was terminated shortly after the online forum called for clarification of the definition of sex in the Equality Act within its 2024 manifesto. She stated: “Despite repeated attempts to explain our position – as a platform committed to amplifying women’s voices – they’ve refused to speak to us ever since.”
Mumsnet has faced previous challenges as advertisers distanced themselves from the site amid ongoing discussions about gender issues. The platform had campaigned for reforms to the Equality Act aimed at ensuring women’s access to single-sex spaces, a move reported on by BBC News as influencing advertiser relations.
In response to a critical post on X (formerly Twitter), Ocado clarified that the comments about Mumsnet’s alleged political views had been made by a “temporary contractor who is no longer with the business.” The online supermarket company added: “We apologise unreservedly to Mumsnet” and emphasised that the comments are “not representative of us as a company.”
Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
9
Notes:
Article dated 22 April 2025 references recent events (2024 manifesto, unspecified partnership termination timeline). No indication of recycled content found.
Quotes check
Score:
7
Notes:
Mumsnet founder's statement lacks direct source verification but aligns with historical advertiser challenges reported by BBC News. Ocado's apology quote appears unique to this narrative.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
Narrative mentions BBC News as corroborator. Grocery Gazette's reliability unverified but specific claims appear plausible.
Plausability check
Score:
9
Notes:
Claims align with known advertiser sensitivity to gender-related discussions. Ocado's apology for contractor remarks follows established corporate crisis response patterns.
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
Freshness confirmed through recent dates and unique apology. Plausibility strengthened by historical advertiser dynamics and corporate apology norms. Quotes require source verification but lack immediate red flags.
