A BLACKBURN comedian and Lancashire reality television star, who both have alopecia, have shared their views on the Will Smith and Chris Rock slap at the Oscars 2022.

Tez Ilyas condemned Rock's joke and Preston’s ZaraLena Jackson, who appeared on MTV’s Ex On The Beach in 2017, said she does not condone violence but is “glad” that the condition is now being taken seriously.

At the Oscars on Sunday (27 March), Will Smith hit comedian, Chris Rock, after he made a joke about his wife Jada's shaved head.

Jada Pinkett-Smith recently revealed she has chosen to shave her head after ongoing issues with alopecia - a hair loss condition.

ZaraLena, 29, told her 219,000 Instagram followers about her views of the ordeal and says Will Smith may be “at breaking point” while coping with his wife’s condition.

She said: “Whatever the mixed opinions are around Will Smith and Chris Rock’s feud, the awareness it has brought to light around alopecia is outstanding... I’m so here for that.

“I do not condone any violence at all – there seems to be a big uproar about what happened [at the Oscars].

“For me, that is an effect of alopecia. He is under a lot of stress after seeing what his wife is going through and he’s at breaking point.

“I am not saying that justifies what he did to Chris because it really doesn’t from what I’ve seen.

“But it is about time that alopecia got taken seriously. I am glad, in a way, that this has happened.

“I do expose my alopecia quite a lot and I have been waiting for waves to be pushed in alopecia’s direction for a long time - but I am not condoning anyone slapping anyone.”

Zaralena appeared on TV yesterday (28 March), removing her wig live on air and talking about the reality of living with the condition.

 

 

She said: “I got to the age of 28. In the space of six weeks I lost everything.

“I lost the hair on my head, all my eyelashes, my eyebrows, the hair on my body, everything in the space of six weeks.

“There’s not much research behind alopecia but they usually diagnose it due to stress.

"I wasn’t particularly overstressed at the time, there was nothing significant that could have caused this much of a reaction… so for me the cause is still unknown.”

She went on to explain that the diagnosis impacted her and her family

She said: “We were devastated… it was very stressful. No-one could give me any support or answers… you can’t determine how much hair you are going to lose and now I am completely bald.

“When you see doctors they just class it as a cosmetic [issue].”

Lancashire Telegraph: Will Smith hits presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars (Chris Pizzello/AP)Will Smith hits presenter Chris Rock on stage at the Oscars (Chris Pizzello/AP)

ZaraLena isn’t the only Lancashire celebrity to have spoken out about alopecia.

Blackburn comedian, Tez Ilyas, said he wouldn’t have made the joke if he were in Chris Rock’s situation, and also criticised the obscurity of Rock's punchline, but praised his handling of the situation after being slapped by Smith, who went on to win Best Actor.

 

 

Tez, who started suffering from alopecia in 2016, said: “I have/had alopecia. Jada’s my people.

"Also… I had to Google G.I. Jane. So, no [I wouldn't have made that joke].

“But I’ll say this… Chris Rock handled the post-awkwardness of that like a pro.”

What is alopecia and how is it caused?

 

Alopecia Areata is thought to be an autoimmune condition, which often starts with isolated patches of hair loss, commonly in one or more coin-sized (usually round or oval) patches on the scalp and/or across the body including the beard, eyebrows, eyelashes or body hair, including pubic hair.

In Alopecia Areata, cells from the immune system gather around the hair follicles. These cells attack the follicle, stopping it from producing more hair. The exact way in which this happens is not yet understood.

The first symptom of Alopecia Areata is often sudden patchy hair loss. The patches of hair loss can grow larger. Sometimes, the patches grow larger and join up. In some people, hair can fall out so fast that all the scalp hair is lost without any patches appearing.

Many people do not experience pain or other symptoms from Alopecia Areata. However, in some people, hair loss can be accompanied by tingling, itching, burning, headaches or even pain in the skin.

There are several different forms including:

  • Alopecia Areata: Shows up as round or oval patches on the scalp or other places on the body that grow hair.
  • Alopecia Totalis: Characterised by a total loss of all scalp hair. 
  • Alopecia Universalis: Characterised by hair loss across the entire scalp, face (including eyebrows and eyelashes), and the rest of the body (including pubic hair).
  • Diffuse Alopecia Areata: Characterised by sudden thinning of the hair all over the scalp rather than patches of hair loss.
  • Alopecia Areata Ophiasis: Specific pattern of hair loss, where hair falls out from the sides and lower back of the scalp.
  • Alopecia Barbae: Form of Alopecia Areata, in which hair loss affects the beard and moustache.