Montana Brown sparks furious debate over ‘tone deaf’ criticism of school desserts – as ‘rage-baiting’ star is accused of demonising sugar in latest ‘bid to stay relevant’

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Montana Brown is facing criticism again for her parenting views, this time after speaking out against schools for including desserts in children’s lunches.

The 30-year-old reality TV star, originally known from Love Island in 2017, has often faced criticism for publicly sharing her parenting choices – particularly her strict rules about screen time for her two children, Jude, age two, and Miley, 14 months. This has led to accusations of ‘mum-shaming’.

In recent TikTok videos, the celebrity criticized schools for frequently offering sugary treats like sticky toffee pudding and biscuits, arguing this normalizes children’s consumption of addictive sugar and highly processed foods.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen this pattern before – my recent video about quick kids’ meals sparked a lot of debate. Some viewers felt I was unfairly portraying sugar as ‘the enemy,’ and honestly, that wasn’t my intention! But a really important point was raised: for many families struggling financially, these convenient foods might be the only warm meal their kids get all day. It’s a really complex issue, and it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about.

Dani Dyer spoke up about the issue, saying her five-year-old son is thankfully given healthy meals at school. Meanwhile, Professor Green defended Montana, arguing she was being unfairly criticized for a playful comment.

Okay, so, Montana… she’s just so outspoken! I follow her closely, and honestly, it’s wild. She doesn’t hold back at all, especially when it comes to parenting. She’s always sharing her opinions, and recently she really came down on parents who use those baby food pouches – can you believe it? And, of course, she’s very vocal about limiting screen time for her kids, which is great, but she really lets people know what she thinks about everyone’s choices, not just her own. It’s just…a lot, but I’m totally hooked!

In her most recent comments, she questioned the necessity of daily desserts in school lunches, specifically asking why children need things like sticky toffee pudding every day.

It would be odd to see a coworker eating something as rich as sticky toffee pudding with custard every day. You’d probably think it was a bit much. So, why do we allow that same behavior in children?

Okay, seriously, I’m convinced this is why so many of us struggle with our weight. It’s just SO hard to break free from sugar and all that junk! When I was at school, it was just… everywhere. It was totally normal to just constantly have sugary stuff, and now it’s like, a real battle to get off it. I can’t believe how ingrained it was from such a young age!

I think constantly giving kids dessert after dessert – like pudding after pudding – isn’t a good idea. They’d be much better off with healthier options like yogurt and fruit, and if they’re still hungry, something with extra protein would be ideal.

I know this isn’t a popular topic with you all, but I truly feel this way, and I’m not trying to provoke a reaction.

Okay, so someone asked why I don’t make my boyfriend lunch to take to work, and his response killed me! He basically said he doesn’t need one because he’s the one everyone else brings lunch for! And he sent a laughing face emoji after, like it’s the cutest thing ever! Seriously, I’m obsessed with how thoughtful – and popular! – he is. It’s just… perfect.

I’ve been seeing a lot of people speaking out about her opinions, and I wanted to add my voice too. Dani pointed out something really telling: her son, Santi, only gets a treat – a pudding – once a week, on Fridays. The rest of the week, it’s healthy stuff like yogurt, fruit, or occasionally a little jelly. It just shows how different their approaches are!

Restricting children’s access to sugary treats can actually lead to them developing an unhealthy obsession with sugar later on.

Lee Parkinson, a teacher and author, responded to a statement made by Montana with a video on Instagram. He questioned how many similar, misguided opinions would be shared, suggesting this one also missed the mark.

She’s saying children are eating sticky toffee pudding every day, but that’s not true. Schools are required to meet national standards, which include serving fruits and vegetables and limiting sugar. Most days, desserts are healthier options like fresh fruit, yogurt, or fruit crumble.

The main problem isn’t that kids are getting dessert at school – it will be a reasonable amount, not unlimited. The real issue is childhood poverty.

Millions of children live in poverty, and for many, the school lunch is the only hot meal they receive each day. As teachers, we witness the effects of this firsthand – students come to school hungry and often ask for more, because there isn’t enough food at home.

It’s clear how much this affects their focus – when kids are preoccupied with hunger, they can’t concentrate on learning math.

Professor Green, known for filming part of his 2018 ‘Count On You’ music video in Montana, reacted to a video with a puzzled comment: ‘Why does it always feel like something’s missing or a point isn’t made? Can’t there be multiple ideas and questions at once? It’s strange.’

Lee responded that different perspectives are valid, but it’s reasonable to question those based on inaccurate information about schools.

We teachers see the impact of hunger in our classrooms every day. Many students come to school hungry, and for some, the school meal is their only hot meal. It’s clear that hunger makes it harder for students to focus, behave well, and learn effectively.

When discussions center on minor details, like the idea of children eating dessert daily, they lose sight of the larger issues that educators witness firsthand.

Professor Green countered: ‘what is she misunderstanding?…

I was raised with my grandmother using vouchers to afford my baby formula, and later for school lunches. Combined with difficult experiences and a very unstable home life, it makes sense why I struggle with focus, attendance, and self-confidence.

I collaborate with charities helping children facing hardship, particularly regarding food security. However, I fail to see how a playful comment about children enjoying a daily dessert could be considered insensitive or a misinterpretation of the situation.

‘it felt unnecessarily punishing, and i doubt that’s what you were going for.’ 

Many people publicly supported the celebrity, with one person writing: ‘I completely agree with her. I don’t understand the negativity – what’s wrong with encouraging kids to eat healthier, less processed foods?’

It’s frustrating that people seem determined to misinterpret what I’m saying. I’ll keep repeating it: Montana! If I made a video explaining why it’s okay for kids to have dessert daily, no one would question it. Let’s keep sharing the truth!

Many people don’t realize the long-term consequences of their daily habits. Regularly having dessert or sugary snacks – especially highly processed and unhealthy ones – during your peak learning and working years can create a really detrimental pattern.

It’s incredibly difficult to break these habits once they’re established. I’ve seen adults struggle with long-term health problems like metabolic disease and even cancer because they couldn’t change them. Regularly having something like cake or a biscuit each day can become a major health concern down the line. It’s a really significant issue.

As someone who really cares about healthy eating, I truly believe everyone – kids and adults alike – should focus on meals packed with nutrients and cut way back on snacking. If we do need something between meals, or even a treat, a piece of fruit is perfect! There’s just no need for things like cake that are full of calories, fat, and lots of refined sugar – those shouldn’t make up the biggest part of what we eat.

People also suggested she had incorrect information, with many commenting that no schools in the UK serve sticky toffee pudding daily.

Are schools still offering biscuits during breaks? It feels like a throwback to the 1990s – most schools now provide fruit instead.

As a lifestyle expert, I’ve seen a lot of discussion around online content, and recently, people have been suggesting that Montana was deliberately trying to get attention with her videos. They’re calling it ‘rage bait’ – basically, creating content designed to make people angry or frustrated. The idea is that strong negative emotions drive clicks and views, which ultimately boosts her online earnings. It’s a tactic some creators unfortunately use to gain engagement.

Okay, let’s be real – this whole situation feels deliberately designed to stir up drama. It’s pretty clear to me someone’s intentionally trying to get a reaction, and honestly, it has that ‘ex-reality star trying to stay in the spotlight’ vibe – a particularly desperate attempt, if I’m being honest. It’s all just…a bit much.

Montana explained in a follow-up video that she prefers to be the one giving her son, Jude, sweet treats. She feels that since he’ll be at school for most of his childhood – from age 5 to 18 – she’d rather control when he gets those treats herself.

Yes, I’m concerned about him having dessert daily. I don’t think it’s necessary to have something sweet every day. Many of you have mentioned that my school also offers fruit and yogurt…

As a lifestyle expert, I’m all for kids enjoying healthy treats like fruit and yogurt. However, I’ve visited quite a few schools and I’m concerned by how often they serve sugary desserts daily. Honestly, it’s something I really disagree with – we need to prioritize better options for our children’s health!

It’s common knowledge that sugar is unhealthy and highly addictive. If you offered children a choice between a sugary treat and a healthier option like fruit and yogurt, most would pick the sugar – they often lack the self-control to make the better choice. My main concern is that there aren’t consistent standards or guidelines regarding sugar content in foods.

In her latest video, she continued by saying she’s really worried about the increasing number of health problems in younger generations. She explained that children are developing more and more long-term illnesses, and she believes a big part of the problem is the growing amount of highly processed foods and sugar in our diets.

I was really surprised when we visited schools. A friend’s mom, who works at a state school in Harlow, explained that whether or not they focus on nutrition depends entirely on the school’s leadership and if they choose to prioritize it.

I believe every child deserves healthy meals at school, not just sugary or highly processed foods. Good nutrition is essential for all children.

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2026-03-09 14:37