Celebrity mum Amanda Holden has attacked Mumsnet users who criticised her for returning to Britain's Got Talent three weeks after giving birth.
The star said she had visited the parenting site expecting 'handy tips on weaning your baby' but instead was shocked by the candour of exchanges between the Mumsnetters.
The journalist who interviewed the 42-year-old actress and presenter had pointed her towards criticism on the site of her decision to go back to work three weeks after giving birth in terrifying circumstances to baby Hollie, now one.
But when Amanda paid a visit she found 'a lot of women criticising, judging and having a go at each other'.
In the interview with the Mail on Sunday's You magazine, Amanda said: "I visited Mumsnet because I thought, 'Oh, that sounds like a nice site where you can get handy tips on weaning your baby and helpful advice'.
"I thought it sounded like the perfect social medium; a support network for mums. But I discovered that it's a lot of women criticising, judging and having a go at each other.
"What we need is a site that gives positive support instead of encouraging guilt by making women who aren't able to breastfeed feel bad, or condemning women for going back to work."
According to the newspaper, one Mumsnet user had written: "Spending time with your newborn is way more important than some s****y talent show."
Another had added: 'I'm sure she could afford to take a few more weeks off, let's not pretend she's desperate for money."
Amanda, who is married to record producer Chris Hughes, has two children, Lexi, seven, and Hollie, one.
In January 2012, after giving birth to Hollie, Amanda's heart stopped beating for four minutes. Her placenta had become attached to her bladder, causing massive haemorrhaging. She said her determination to restore normality for Lexi was behind her quick return to work.
"The normal in my house is Mummy doing Britain's Got Talent. When I had been in hospital Lexi had seen me in such hideous circumstances that I decided I needed to get back to normal for her and for me," she told the magazine.
"Mummy shoved on her eyelashes and went back on Britain's Got Talent because that was normal. I took Hollie with me and we went to Birmingham and I just did three days."
Today, Amanda's comments were met with a mixed response by Mumsnetters. Some criticised the journalist for directing Amanda towards the going back to work thread in the first place, while others criticised Amanda's naivety.
In a thread entitled 'Ooh, Amanda Holden hates us', Mumsnetter Sephrania wrote: "Just read the article (couldn't resist) and apparently she only wanted tips on how to wean her DC but found us to be very judgemental.
"Well, yeah. Duh! Isn't that the point of MN, or did I get that bit where we're a nest of vipers wrong again?"
However, others were more supportive. VivaLeBeaver wrote: "In fairness I think she has a point about the specific thread where people were slagging her off. She read it/heard about it and it upset her. Yes she's a public figure who can expect such criticism, yadda, yadda, yadda.
"But this was a mum with a young baby who felt worse after reading what everyone said about her parenting, etc. I wouldn't have gone back to work so soon but if I had reading such comments would have been awful. And let's face it, her job isn't a normal job is it? I'm sure she got to take the baby with her and have it in the dressing room with a nanny."
And on another thread, entitled 'Am I Being Unreasonable to feel sorry for Amanda Holden?', , user WorraLiberty, wrote: "There was some awful criticism of Amanda Holden at the time but there were also many positive comments.
"I think Celebs probably find the honesty on chat forums a little hard to take because they'll be used to Twitter and the a*** kissing that goes on there."
Mumsnet co-founder Justine Roberts told the Mail: "Of course people can be critical, but for every opinion there is usually a counter one."