Overview

• During the Sept. 27 broadcast, host Ingrid Muccitelli asked how one “recognizes” a gay person and whether gay hairdressers have more sensitivity or charm than straight colleagues.
• Guest journalist Concita Borrelli replied that she has “radars” and said gestures or words can reveal it, as commentator Alessandro Cecchi Paone was present in studio.
• Clips of the exchange circulated widely on X, with users calling the remarks outdated and offensive.
• Italia Viva senator Ivan Scalfarotto denounced the segment as crude stereotyping, and Rai board member Roberto Natale called the comments unworthy of public service broadcasting.
• Borrelli later defended herself on X, saying she stressed that gay people are not a category and praised their aesthetic sense, as the discussion stemmed from a Montesilvano barber’s ad seeking homosexual staff; no disciplinary action has been announced.