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The Sun drops Page 3
Rupert Murdoch had hinted that the controversial tradition may be dropped because it was 'old-fashioned'
Topless women have been a fixture on Page 3 of the Sun for more than four decades, but the controversial feature has finally been killed off.
Executives at the tabloid have decided to quietly shelve the tradition after a growing army of critics branded it sexist.
Instead of bare breasts, the pictures will now show scantily-clad women wearing bras and pants. In Monday's issue, the model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley was shown wearing Marks & Spencer underwear.
The move was confirmed by The Times, a fellow News UK paper. It is understood that the parent company's chairman Rupert Murdoch signed off on the decision.
Topless models were first introduced by the Sun in 1970, less than a year after Rupert Murdoch bought the title. In recent years, the paper has faced growing criticism from campaigners who said the feature was out of date in the modern world.
According to the Guardian, executives had planned to drop Page 3 quietly, without fanfare. It is understood the change may be reversed if it causes a dramatic drop in sales.
Sun editor David Dinsmore refused to comment, but is understood to accept that Page 3 was a relic of the past.
The Sun’s Irish edition dropped topless pictures in August 2013, after editor Paul Clarkson cited “cultural differences”.
In September Rupert Murdoch hinted the end may be in sight for Page 3, describing it as “old fashioned” on Twitter. He then asked his followers: “Aren't beautiful young women more attractive in at least some fashionable clothes?”
However he then accused British feminists of “banging on forever about Page 3” despite “never buying [the] paper”.
Three reasons to be glad the Sun's Page 3 is gone
The move follows a campaign launched in September 2012 to force the paper into dropping its daily diet of topless pictures.
Called No More Page 3, it attracted more than 215,000 signatories to an online petition. The campign was also supported by organisations including the Girl Guides and the Welsh Assembly.
Green MP Caroline Lucas was ordered to cover up her No More Page Three t-shirt in Parliament
More than 30 universities voted to stop selling The Sun until it dropped the feature, and in June 2013 the Green MP Caroline Lucas was told to cover up her No More Page Three t-shirt during a debate in Westminster Hall.
A spokeswoman for the campaign said: “This could be truly historic news and a great day for people power. We don't know the details for sure and there's still lots to be done. But this could be a huge step for challenging media sexism.”
Labour MPs Stella Creasy, Sadiq Khan and Yvette Cooper tweeted their congratulations:
Although not everyone is claiming the move to showing models in their underwear as a victory: